Chapter 45: Observations in St. Petersburg

On the second day after Mikhail left the Panayev household, which was also the third day following the release of his new work, two figures weary from travel, after several days of arduous journeying, finally arrived on the bustling and noisy streets of St. Petersburg.

Having ridden in a carriage for several days, they both appeared utterly exhausted, yet at the thought of the person they were about to meet, they instantly regained their spirits, and new brilliance ignited in their dark eyes, so similar to Mikhail's.

But recalling the two completely contradictory pieces of news they had received recently, this excitement inevitably carried a tinge of worry.

"Dunya, it is unbelievable; even now I cannot believe that it has been nearly three years since I last saw our dear Misha; why has God separated us for so long?" asked the old woman Pulcheria, her voice somewhat incoherent amidst her agitation and fear.

"Of course, we must not speak ill of God; perhaps this is God's arrangement? It was only by letting Misha study alone for three years that he achieved his current success! Heaven knows how happy I was when I saw his letter from a few days ago! He even sent us thirty rubles; without that money, our visit would likely have been delayed even further!"

After the surge of excitement faded, several traces of worry emerged on that face worn by the years, and pulling her daughter's arm, she continued:

"But why did Pyotr Petrovich say that Misha does nothing in St. Petersburg, spends all day drinking, not only insulted him to his face but also hired people to put on a play to deceive him? Yet if that were the case, where did our dear Misha get the money to send us? Did he also borrow from someone?

Given Misha's current situation, who would be willing to lend him as much as thirty rubles?"

"Mother, it is precisely because the rumors we heard are so contradictory that we came directly to St. Petersburg without notifying brother first." Unlike Pulcheria's agitation and panic, the young girl, though also somewhat excited, displayed more contemplation on her face, as if weighing the feasibility of their upcoming actions.

"Then let us proceed as we discussed on the road: first, let us visit the bookstores and cafes of St. Petersburg! Let us find the new issue of 'Notes of the Fatherland' and see whether brother's name actually appears in it.

Once we have confirmed this matter, we will then go to the address of the apartment where brother said he resides, to see what his actual circumstances are; only then can we consider what to do next!"

This seventeen-year-old Miss was tall and slender; her face resembled Mikhail's by at least sixty or seventy percent, yet appeared softer and more elegant; her brown hair was slightly lighter than Mikhail's, and her dark eyes sparkled.

And when she fell into thought, her expression was almost identical to Mikhail's.

In other words, should the need ever truly arise in the future, Mikhail could completely evade the iron fist of the gendarmes by dressing as a woman...

Ahem, just a joke; Mikhail states that such a thing is utterly impossible...

Returning to the present, after the young Miss spoke these words, Pulcheria's panicked heart immediately settled considerably; once truly calmed, she instead took the lead, walking forward and saying:

"Then let us go, Dunya! How I hope to truly see Misha's name in a literary magazine; when that happens, you must read it aloud to me; how I wish to hear what Misha has actually written! Yet he forgot to send us a copy!"

In fact, Mikhail had not forgotten this matter; it was merely that the sample copies sent to him arrived far too late, and as for the other reason, his mother and sister would likely soon discover it themselves.

Although Pulcheria and the young Miss were completely unfamiliar with St. Petersburg, after repeatedly asking passersby for directions, they finally slowly made their way to the location of the bookstore.

Compared to other regions, the bookstores of St. Petersburg were undoubtedly much livelier, yet since this establishment was a bookstore, it was destined never to be too bustling; daily quietude was its normal state, and only during certain special periods and days would it suddenly become crowded with visitors.

However, for Pulcheria and Dunya, who came from the provinces, the scene they witnessed upon arriving at the bookstore was wave after wave of people constantly entering and exiting; some lingered inside for a long time, but more people seemed to merely ask the bookstore owner a single question, then shake their heads in regret and walk out.

Although not entirely clear on the specific situation, seeing such an extraordinarily lively scene, the plainly dressed Pulcheria subconsciously moved closer to her daughter before exclaiming with emotion:

"Dear Dunya, this is St. Petersburg, truly worthy of being the place where the Tsar resides! Just look at such a scene and these gentlemen; where in our homeland could one ever see such a sight? No wonder I hear people saying that in the Tsar's domain, the noble lords are more benevolent, the officials more just, and even the gentlemen here are more cultivated.

When will our homeland ever become like this?"

"That may be a long time from now, Mother, but I believe such a day will come." After answering her mother's question, the girl from the provinces hesitated for a moment on the spot before finally stepping forward and entering the bookstore.

A girl like her immediately attracted the gaze of many upon entering, yet more people still focused their attention on the bookshelves, attempting to find a copy of 'Notes of the Fatherland' that might have been overlooked by others.

Because Pulcheria and Dunya possessed the timidity and shyness of newcomers to a big city, they felt too embarrassed to ask the owner directly, so they instead scrutinized the shelves with great concentration, hoping to quickly find that literary magazine they had mentioned over a dozen times.

But after searching again and again, the old woman and the young girl only grew more and more confused.

Why was it not there? It could not be found anywhere!

Could it be that this literary magazine was not nearly as famous as Misha had claimed, or even that this magazine did not exist at all?!

The old woman and the young girl exchanged a glance; each saw this terrifying thought reflected in the other's eyes; to avoid having their minds clouded by such fear, the young girl bit her lip and finally made up her mind, walking toward the bookstore owner.

But the area around the bookstore owner was currently surrounded by a crowd; Dunya could barely even see him, yet even so, she pulled Pulcheria closer, intending to hurriedly ask whether 'Notes of the Fatherland' was available once the crowd dispersed slightly.

However, as they drew nearer, the voices of those surrounding the bookstore owner became increasingly clear; at first they were somewhat stunned, but once they heard clearly, they froze on the spot:

"Has 'Notes of the Fatherland' arrived yet?"

"Are there any more copies of 'Notes of the Fatherland'?"

"I came to ask yesterday; why is it still not here today?"

"Why has it not arrived yet?"

Seemingly annoyed by these repeated inquiries, the bookstore owner directly raised his voice and shouted loudly:

"None left, none left! The earliest arrival will be the day after tomorrow! Have mercy, gentlemen! You are nearly deafening me! Go to the cafes; those places often keep a few copies at the counter for people to browse; if you are lucky, perhaps a copy will make its way into your hands!"

Only after the people surrounding him gradually dispersed did the bookstore owner rub his brow, unable to help muttering:

"Oh my God, another Gogol; everyone curses him, yet everyone wants to read his works. Why is this so? Like this current gentleman, I have seen many magazines and several authoritative figures criticizing his works, so why do so many people still want to read them?"

(End of Chapter)