hunter notes

Chapter 30 The Two Landlords (1)
Dear reader, it has been my honor to introduce to you some of my gentleman neighbors.Now please let me incidentally (everything is incidental in our writer's opinion) introduce two more landowners to your acquaintance.I used to go hunting with them, and they were very respectable, well-behaved men, well respected by the general population in several counties.

Let me first describe to you retired Major General Vyacheslav Illarionovich Hvalensky.Please imagine a tall person, whose figure was trimmed in early years, and whose skin is now a little looser, but by no means old, not even old, but in the prime of life, the so-called prime age.Indeed, his once well-formed and still pleasing features had changed slightly, the cheeks were slack, there were shiny wrinkles around the eyes, and some teeth, as Sadie quoted by Pushkin, were no longer there.The hazel hair, at least the ones that remained, had been turned lavender from a concoction bought from a Jewish self-proclaimed Armenian in the city of Romnema.But Vyacheslav Illarionovich walked briskly, laughed loudly, clinked his boots, wore a moustache, and called himself an old cavalryman.In fact, everyone knows that real old people never call themselves old people.He wore a frock coat buttoned all the way to the top, a high-knotted tie and a starched collar, gray military-style trousers with floral prints, and a hat buttoned up to the forehead, leaving the back of his head exposed.He is very kind, but has strange opinions and habits.For example, he would never treat nobles who are not rich or have official titles as equals.When talking to them, he pressed his cheek against his white collar, squinted at them, or glanced at them suddenly with bright and dull eyes, and said nothing, all the skin under his hair moved. stand up.When he spoke, he pronounced it differently, for example, instead of saying "Thank you, Pavel Vasilich," or "Come here, Mihailo Ivanitch," he said "Thank you. You, Bar Assirich", or "Come here, Michal Vanich".His attitude towards people of low social status is even more strange: he doesn't look at them at all, and before expressing his wishes or orders to them, he repeats repeatedly with a worried and contemplative look: "What is your name?" What's your name? . . . what's your name?" He said the first word very emphatically, and said the others so quickly that his words sounded very much like a male quail's.

He was busy and terribly miserly, but he was not a good manager, using a retired cavalry master—a stupid little Russian—as housekeeper.But as regards the management of estates, we have no one here like a Petersburg dignitary: he learned from his steward's reports that the hayhouses in his estate were frequently caught in fire, and much grain was lost as a result.He issued a very strict prohibition: From now on, no sheaves are allowed to be put into the roasting house until the fire is completely extinguished.This eunuch once wanted to plant poppies on all his fields, apparently out of a very simple calculation: poppies are more expensive than rye, so it is more profitable to grow poppies.He also ordered his peasant women to wear turbans of the kind sent from Petersburg.Sure enough, the peasant women in his domain still wear such kerchiefs... but over their hats... Now we come back to Vyacheslav Illarionovich.Vyacheslav Illarionovich was a notorious pervert, and as soon as he saw a pretty woman on the boulevard in his county town, he followed her immediately, but immediately limped when he walked. Turned, this scene is really beautiful.He likes to play cards, but only against those who are lower than himself... They call him "Master", but he cares about them as he pleases.When he played cards with the governor or other officials, his attitude changed over and over again: he smiled, nodded, looked at their eyes--everything was sweet... Even if he lost money, he didn't complain .Vyacheslav Illarionovich did not read much, and while he was reading his beard and eyebrows moved constantly, as if rolling waves from bottom to top of his face.This undulating movement of Vyacheslav Illarionovich's face was particularly conspicuous when he occasionally (in front of guests, of course) glanced at the columns of the Review.During the election, he played a very important role, but because he was reluctant to spend money, he resigned from the honorary title of Chief Noble. "Gentlemen," he used to say to the nobles who praised him, in a voice full of consideration and self-respect, "I thank you for your kindness, but I am determined to live the rest of my life in peace."

After saying these words, he turned his head from side to side a few times, and pressed his chin and cheeks solemnly to his tie.In his youth he had been an aide-de-camp to a certain dignitary, whom he mentioned used only his first name and paternal title.It was said that he seemed to have held more than adjutant duties, for example, that he seemed to have put on a full uniform, even buttoned up, and bathed his superiors in the bathhouse - but the rumors are not entirely credible.But General Hvalensky himself does not like to talk about his military career, which is indeed very strange.He doesn't seem to have fought a war.General Hvalensky lived alone in a small house.He has never experienced the happiness and sweetness of married life in his life, and he is still a bachelor, even an excellent bachelor.He had, however, a housekeeper, a woman of about thirty-five, with dark eyes, black eyebrows, plump, delicate, and bearded.She wore starched clothes on weekdays, and muslin sleeves on Sundays.Vyacheslav Illarionovich was very good at the big banquets where the landowners entertained governors and other dignitaries-he was quite at home here.At this time, if he was not sitting on the governor's right, he was sitting not far from him.At the beginning of the banquet, he still maintained a sense of self-esteem, leaned back a little, but did not turn his head, and looked sideways at the round backs of the guests' heads and erect stiff collars.But towards the end of the party, he cheered up and began to smile around (as for the Prefect, he had been smiling since the beginning of the party), and sometimes even suggested that, in celebration of what he called "the decoration of the earth" Cheers to the women.General Hvalensky also distinguished himself at various solemn and public ceremonies, examinations, church ceremonies, rallies and exhibitions.He is also very decent when blessing.Vyacheslav Illarionovich's servants never made noise or shouted in crowded places, on the ferry, or on similar occasions, but when they asked for a way or called for a carriage, they used The melodious baritone said: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please let General Hevalensky pass." Or: "General Hevalensky's carriage..." Hevalensky's carriage is indeed very old, and the servants Their livery was rather shabby (it was gray with red trim, of course), and the horses were very old, having worked their way through life.But Vyacheslav Illarionovitch had never sought luxury, and considered it a disservice to his reputation to be extravagant.Hvalensky had no special gift for speaking, perhaps he had no occasion to show his eloquence, for he did not like not only arguments, but ordinary rebuttals.He tried to avoid lengthy conversations of all kinds, especially with young people.There is a reason for doing so.Otherwise, it would be terrible to deal with the people of today, who would lose respect for him if they disobeyed.Hvalensky was mostly silent in the presence of high-ranking people, but with low-ranking people whom he obviously despised and only associated with, he spoke curtly and curtly, always using phrases like this: "But you're talking nonsense." Or: "Finally, sir, I have to warn you." Or: "But, after all, you should know who you're dealing with." And so on.

(End of this chapter)