"Nobody ought to speak to me like that!" she said huskily.
"Anyhow, I've done so!" replied Sanine, recovering his good temper, and
resuming his pen.
"You've had your share of life," he said, "and you've up right to
prevent Lida from having hers."
Maria Ivanovna said nothing, but stared in amazement at her son, while
her cap looked droller than ever.
She hastily checked all memories of her past youth with its joyous
nights of love, fixing upon this one question in her mind. "How dare he
speak thus to his mother?" Yet before she could come to any decision,
Sanine turned round, and taking her hand said kindly: "Don't let that worry you, but, you must keep Sarudine out of the
house, for the fellow's quite capable of playing us a dirty trick."
Maria Ivanovna was at once appeased.
"God bless you, my boy," she said. "I am very glad, for I have always
liked Sacha Novikoff. Of course, we can't receive Sarudine; it wouldn't
do, because of Sacha."
"No, just that! Because of Sacha," said Sanine with a humorous look in
his eyes.
"And where is Lida?" asked his mother.
"In her room."
"And Sacha?" She pronounced the pet name lovingly.
"I really don't know. He went to ..." At that moment Dounika appeared
in the doorway, and said: "Victor Sergejevitsch is here, and another gentleman."
"Turn them out of the house," said Sanine.
Dounika smiled sheepishly.
"Oh! Sir, I can't do that, can I?"
"Of course you can! What business brings them here?"
Dounika hid her face, and went out.
Drawing herself up to her full height, Maria Ivanovna seemed almost
younger, though her eyes looked malevolent. With astonishing ease her
point of view had undergone a complete change, as if by playing a trump
card she had suddenly scored. Kindly as her feelings for Sarudine had
been while she hoped to have him as a son-in-law, they swiftly cooled
when she realized that another was to marry Lida, and that Sarudine had
only made love to her.
As his mother turned to go, Sanine, who noticed her stony profile and
forbidding expression, said to himself, "There's an old hen for you!"
Folding up his letter he followed her out, curious to see what turn
matters would take.
With exaggerated politeness Sarudine and Volochine rose to salute the
old lady, yet the former showed none of his wonted ease of manner when
at the Sanines'. Volochine indeed felt slightly uncomfortable, because
he had come expressly to see Lida, and was obliged to conceal his
intention.