Part 21 (2/2)
”Boris's parents came to see us a little while ago, to inquire after the general. They have taken Natacha away with them, as they often have done. Natacha went with them readily enough. Little domovoi, listen to me, listen to Matrena Petrovna-Anyone would have said she was expecting it!”
”Then she has gone to lunch at their house?”
”Doubtless, unless they have gone to a cafe. I don't know. Boris's father likes to have the family lunch at the Barque when it is fine. Calm yourself, little domovoi. What ails you? Bad news, eh? Any bad news?”
”No, no; everything is all right. Quick, the address of Boris's family.”
”The house at the corner of La Place St. Isaac and la rue de la Poste.”
”Good. Thank you. Adieu.”
He started for the Place St. Isaac, and picked up an interpreter at the Grand Morskaia Hotel on the way. It might be useful to have him. At the Place St. Isaac he learned the Morazoffs and Natacha Treba.s.sof had gone by train for luncheon at Bergalowe, one of the nearby stations in Finland.
”That is all,” said he, and added apart to himself, ”And perhaps that is not true.”
He paid the coachman and the interpreter, and lunched at the Bra.s.serie de Vienne nearby. He left there a half-hour later, much calmer. He took his way to the Grand Morskaia Hotel, went inside and asked the schwitzar:
”Can you give me the address of Mademoiselle Annouchka?”
”The singer of the Krestowsky?”
”That is who I mean.”
”She had luncheon here. She has just gone away with the prince.”
Without any curiosity as to which prince, Rouletabille cursed his luck and again asked for her address.
”Why, she lives in an apartment just across the way.”
Rouletabille, feeling better, crossed the street, followed by the interpreter that he had engaged. Across the way he learned on the landing of the first floor that Mademoiselle Annouchka was away for the day. He descended, still followed by his interpreter, and recalling how someone had told him that in Russia it was always profitable to be generous, he gave five roubles to the interpreter and asked him for some information about Mademoiselle Annouchka's life in St. Petersburg. The interpreter whispered:
”She arrived a week ago, but has not spent a single night in her apartment over there.”
He pointed to the house they had just left, and added:
”Merely her address for the police.”
”Yes, yes,” said Rouletabille, ”I understand. She sings this evening, doesn't she?”
”Monsieur, it will be a wonderful debut.”
”Yes, yes, I know. Thanks.”
All these frustrations in the things he had undertaken that day instead of disheartening him plunged him deep into hard thinking. He returned, his hands in his pockets, whistling softly, to the Place St. Isaac, walked around the church, keeping an eye on the house at the corner, investigated the monument, went inside, examined all its details, came out marveling, and finally went once again to the residence of the Mourazoffs, was told that they had not yet returned from the Finland town, then went and shut himself in his room at the hotel, where he smoked a dozen pipes of tobacco. He emerged from his cloud of smoke at dinner-time.
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