The Woman Who Tortured and Nurtured Turgenev

Abstract

She calls him Michel. He is a permanent houseguest. They sit in the drawing room discussing books while the old folks play cards. They stroll in the garden arm in arm, admiring nature. She feels for him the deepest affection. As for him, he can't live without her. He calls her Natalya Petrovna. Only her husband calls her Natasha. Mikhail Rakitin is Michel's real name. These people are Russian and the scene is a Russian country house some time in the eighteenforties. Rakitin is in an awkward position. He is the husband's friend, the wife's admirer, a weight-bearing joint in the family structure. Natalya Petrovna is a comely woman with a commanding presence and a snappy wit. Her husband, Islayev, though he adores her, is older and up to his ears in practical matters. He is always off seeing to the estate, consulting his foreman, trading horses, doing the books. He has no interest in observing people or dissecting their character. He doesn't read novels or indulge in playful conversation. Rakitin fills a gap.