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Read Ebook: Nina Balatka by Trollope Anthony
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Ebook has 1546 lines and 78243 words, and 31 pages
"Your aunt Sophie is a fool."
"I should not mind if she were only a fool. But a fool can sometimes be right."
"And she has been scolding you because--you--prefer a Jew to a Christian."
"No--not yet, Anton. She does not know it yet; but she must know it."
"Sit down, Nina." He was still holding her by the hand; and now, as he spoke, he led her to a sofa which stood between the two windows. There he seated her, and sat by her side, still holding her hand in his. "Yes," he said, "she must know it of course--when the time comes; and if she guesses it before, you must put up with her guesses. A few sharp words from a foolish woman will not frighten you, I hope."
"No words will frighten me out of my love, if you mean that--neither words nor anything else."
"I believe you. You are brave, Nina. I know that. Though you will cry if one but frowns at you, yet you are brave."
"Do not you frown at me, Anton."
"I am one of those that do frown at times, I suppose; but I will be true to you, Nina, if you will be true to me."
"I will be true to you--true as the sun."
As she made her promise she turned her sweet face up to his, and he leaned over her, and kissed her.
"And what is it that has disturbed you now, Nina? What has Madame Zamenoy said to you?"
"She has said nothing--as yet. She suspects nothing--as yet."
"Then let her remain as she is."
"But, Anton, Souchey knows, and he will talk."
"Souchey! And do you care for that?"
"I care for nothing--for nothing; for nothing, that is, in the way of preventing me. Do what they will, they cannot tear my love from my heart."
"Nor can they take you away, or lock you up."
"I fear nothing of that sort, Anton. All that I really fear is secrecy. Would it not be best that I should tell father?"
"What!--now, at once?"
"If you will let me. I suppose he must know it soon."
"You can if you please."
"Souchey will tell him."
"Will Souchey dare to speak of you like that?" asked the Jew.
"Oh, yes; Souchey dares to say anything to father now. Besides, it is true. Why should not Souchey say it?"
"But you have not spoken to Souchey; you have not told him?"
"I! No indeed. I have spoken never a word to anyone about that--only to you. How should I speak to another without your bidding? But when they speak to me I must answer them. If father asks me whether there be aught between you and me, shall I not tell him then?"
"It would be better to be silent for a while."
"But shall I lie to him? I should not mind Souchey nor aunt Sophie much; but I never yet told a lie to father."
"I do not tell you to lie."
"Let me tell it all. Anton, and then, whatever they may say, whatever they may do, I shall not mind. I wish that they knew it, and then I could stand up against them. Then I could tell Ziska that which would make him hold his tongue for ever."
"Ziska! Who cares for Ziska?"
"You need not, at any rate."
"The truth is, Nina, that I cannot be married till I have settled all this about the houses in the Kleinseite. The very fact that you would be your father's heir prevents my doing so."
"Do you think that I wish to hurry you? I would rather stay as I am, knowing that you love me."
"Dear Nina! But when your aunt shall once know your secret, she will give you no peace till you are out of her power. She will leave no stone unturned to make you give up your Jew lover."
"She may as well leave the turning of such stones alone."
"But if she heard nothing of it till she heard that we were married--"
"Ah! but that is impossible. I could not do that without telling father, and father would surely tell my aunt."
"You may do as you will, Nina; but it may be, when they shall know it, that therefore there may be new difficulty made about the houses. Karil Zamenoy has the papers, which are in truth mine--or my father's--which should be here in my iron box." And Trendellsohn, as he spoke, put his hand forcibly on the seat beside him, as though the iron box to which he alluded were within his reach.
"I know they are yours," said Nina.
"Yes; and without them, should your father die, I could not claim my property. The Zamenoys might say they held it on your behalf--and you my wife at the time! Do you see, Nina? I could not stand that--I would not stand that."
"I understand it well, Anton."
"The houses are mine--or ours, rather. Your father has long since had the money, and more than the money. He knew that the houses were to be ours."
"He knows it well. You do not think that he is holding back the papers?"
"He should get them for me. He should not drive me to press him for them. I know they are at Karil Zamenoy's counting-house; but your uncle told me, when I spoke to him, that he had no business with me; if I had a claim on him, there was the law. I have no claim on him. But I let your father have the money when he wanted it, on his promise that the deeds should be forthcoming. A Christian would not have been such a fool."
"Oh, Anton, do not speak to me like that."
"But was I not a fool? See how it is now. Were you and I to become man and wife, they would never give them up, though they are my own--my own. No; we must wait; and you--you must demand them from your uncle."
"I will demand them. And as for waiting, I care nothing for that if you love me."
"I do love you."
"Then all shall be well with me; and I will ask for the papers. Father, I know, wishes that you should have all that is your own. He would leave the house to-morrow if you desired it."
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