. . But before
reporting their conversation to the reader, we consider it not out of
place to relate in few words who was this Tatiana, whom it was to be
Kapiton's lot to marry, and why the great lady's order had disturbed the
steward.
Tatiana, one of the laundresses referred to above (as a trained and
skilful laundress she was in charge of the fine linen only), was a woman
of twenty-eight, thin, fair-haired, with moles on her left cheek. Moles
on the left cheek are regarded as of evil omen in Russia--a token of
unhappy life. . . Tatiana could not boast of her good luck. From her
earliest youth she had been badly treated; she had done the work of two,
and had never known affection; she had been poorly clothed and had
received the smallest wages. Relations she had practically none; an
uncle she had once had, a butler, left behind in the country as useless,
and other uncles of hers were peasants--that was all. At one time she
had passed for a beauty, but her good looks were very soon over. In
disposition, she was very meek, or, rather, scared; towards herself, she
felt perfect indifference; of others, she stood in mortal dread; she
thought of nothing but how to get her work done in good time, never
talked to any one, and trembled at the very name of her mistress, though
the latter scarcely knew her by sight.
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