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The Lock and Key Library By: Bernhard Severin Ingemann (1789-1862) |
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The Most Interesting Stories of All Nations Edited by Julian Hawthorne
North Europe Russian Swedish Danish Hungarian Table of Contents
ALEXANDER SERGEIEVITCH PUSHKIN The Queen of Spades
VERA JELIHOVSKY The General's Will
FEODOR MIKHAILOVITCH DOSTOYEVSKY Crime and Punishment
ANTON CHEKHOFF The Safety Match
VSEVOLOD VLADIMIROVITCH KRESTOVSKI Knights of Industry
JORGEN WILHELM BERGSOE The Amputated Arms
OTTO LARSSEN The Manuscript
BERNHARD SEVERIN INGEMANN The Sealed Room
STEEN STEENSEN BLICHER The Rector of Veilbye
HUNGARIAN MYSTERY STORIES
FERENCZ MOLNAR The Living Death
MAURUS JOKAI Thirteen at Table
ETIENNE BARSONY The Dancing Bear
ARTHUR ELCK The Tower Room
Russian Mystery Stories Alexander Sergeievitch Pushkin The Queen of Spades
I
There was a card party at the rooms of Naroumoff, of the Horse
Guards. The long winter night passed away imperceptibly, and it
was five o'clock in the morning before the company sat down to
supper. Those who had won ate with a good appetite; the others sat
staring absently at their empty plates. When the champagne
appeared, however, the conversation became more animated, and all
took a part in it. "And how did you fare, Souirin?" asked the host. "Oh, I lost, as usual. I must confess that I am unlucky. I play
mirandole, I always keep cool, I never allow anything to put me
out, and yet I always lose!" "And you did not once allow yourself to be tempted to back the red?
Your firmness astonishes me." "But what do you think of Hermann?" said one of the guests,
pointing to a young engineer. "He has never had a card in his hand
in his life, he has never in his life laid a wager; and yet he sits
here till five o'clock in the morning watching our play." "Play interests me very much," said Hermann, "but I am not in the
position to sacrifice the necessary in the hope of winning the
superfluous." "Hermann is a German; he is economical that is all!" observed
Tomsky. "But if there is one person that I cannot understand, it
is my grandmother, the Countess Anna Fedorovna!" "How so?" inquired the guests. "I cannot understand," continued Tomsky, "how it is that my
grandmother does not punt." "Then you do not know the reason why?" "No, really; I haven't the faintest idea. But let me tell you the
story. You must know that about sixty years ago my grandmother
went to Paris, where she created quite a sensation. People used to
run after her to catch a glimpse of the 'Muscovite Venus.'
Richelieu made love to her, and my grandmother maintains that he
almost blew out his brains in consequence of her cruelty. At that
time ladies used to play at faro. On one occasion at the Court,
she lost a very considerable sum to the Duke of Orleans. On
returning home, my grandmother removed the patches from her face,
took off her hoops, informed my grandfather of her loss at the
gaming table, and ordered him to pay the money. My deceased
grandfather, as far as I remember, was a sort of house steward to
my grandmother. He dreaded her like fire; but, on hearing of such
a heavy loss, he almost went out of his mind. He calculated the
various sums she had lost, and pointed out to her that in six
months she had spent half a million of francs; that neither their
Moscow nor Saratoff estates were in Paris; and, finally, refused
point blank to pay the debt. My grandmother gave him a box on the
ear and slept by herself as a sign of her displeasure. The next
day she sent for her husband, hoping that this domestic punishment
had produced an effect upon him, but she found him inflexible. For
the first time in her life she entered into reasonings and
explanations with him, thinking to be able to convince him by
pointing out to him that there are debts and debts, and that there
is a great difference between a prince and a coachmaker. "But it was all in vain, my grandfather still remained obdurate.
But the matter did not rest there. My grandmother did not know
what to do... Continue reading book >>
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