An Enigmatic Nature (Chekhov)
Division into chapters is editorial.
Meeting in a railway carriage: the writer and the enigmatic lady
A pretty lady sat half-reclining on the red velvet seat of a first-class railway carriage. She appeared greatly agitated as an expensive fluffy fan trembled in her tightly closed fingers. Her pince-nez kept dropping off her nose, and the brooch on her bosom heaved and fell like a boat on the ocean.
Opposite her sat a young man, the Provincial Secretary of Special Commissions, who occasionally published stories in the leading provincial paper. He gazed intently at the lady, studying her as if she were a fascinating subject. He believed he could understand her soul and psychology completely.
On the seat opposite sits the Provincial Secretary of Special Commissions, a budding young author... He is watching, studying, catching every shade of this exceptional, enigmatic nature.
Voldemar kissed the lady's hand near her bracelet, claiming to understand her to her inmost depths. He assured her that her sensitive soul was seeking escape, and though the struggle was titanic, she would be triumphant. The lady responded by asking him to write about her, describing herself as unhappy and comparing herself to a suffering soul from Dostoevsky's works.
The ladys dramatic life story: poverty, self-sacrifice, and pursuit of happiness
When Voldemar begged to hear her story, the pretty lady began recounting her life. She described her father as a poor clerk in the Service who, despite having a good heart and intelligence, was influenced by his environment. He drank, gambled, and took bribes.
She briefly mentioned her mother but did not elaborate, instead focusing on her own struggles. The lady spoke of poverty, the fight for daily bread, and the consciousness of insignificance. She described her education at a boarding school as monstrous, and mentioned foolish novel-reading and the errors of early youth.
"Oh, Voldemar, I longed for glory, renown, success... I yearned for something extraordinary, above the common lot of woman! And then... there crossed my path... an old general... very well off."
The lady explained that she had married an old general for money, presenting it as an act of self-sacrifice and renunciation. She claimed she had restored her family's fortunes and was able to travel and do good. However, she confessed that she suffered greatly, finding her husband's embraces revolting and loathsome, though she acknowledged he had fought nobly in his day.
Throughout her marriage, she had been sustained by the thought that the old man might die any day, allowing her to begin living as she wished and to give herself to the man she truly adored. She insisted there was such a man in her life.
The lady continued her story, explaining that eventually the old general had died, leaving her some money. She described herself as free as a bird, with happiness tapping at her window. This should have been the moment for her to give herself to the man she loved, to become his partner, to help uphold his ideals, and to find happiness and rest.
"But... how ignoble, repulsive, and senseless all our life is! How mean it all is, Voldemar. I am wretched, wretched, wretched! Again there is an obstacle in my path! Again I feel that my happiness is far, far away!"
The unexpected revelation: another old general
As the lady's fan fluttered more violently and her face took on a lachrymose expression, Voldemar was captivated by her tale of woe. He implored her to reveal what obstacle now stood in the way of her happiness.
"But what... what stands in your way? I implore you tell me! What is it?"
"Another old general, very well off..."
The broken fan conceals the pretty little face. The author props on his fist his thought... heavy brow and ponders.
With this surprising revelation, the lady hid her face behind her broken fan. The new obstacle in her path to happiness was yet another wealthy old general. Outside the train, the engine whistled and hissed while the window curtains flushed red with the glow of the setting sun.