Rudin

with her. Rudin found her alone. She greeted him very cordially, inquired whether he had passed a good night, poured him out a cup of tea with her own hands,

a soon left off questioning him. She began to tell him about herself, her youth, and the people she had known. Rudin gave a sympathetic attention to her lucubrations, though — a curious fact — whatever personage Darya Mihailovna might be talking about, she always stood in the foreground, she alone, and the personage seemed to be effaced, to slink away in the background, and to disappear. But to make up for that, Rudin learnt in full detail precisely what Darya Mihailovna had said to a certain distinguished statesman, and what influence she had had on such a

dated by him to begin with — opened their hearts with confidence in his presence; he followed the thread of another man’s narrative so readily and sympathetically. He had a great deal of good-nature — that special good-n

nd expressions often escaped her. She intentionally made use of simple popular terms of speech; but not always successfully.

ing her head fall on the cushions of her easy-c

y. This period of rest is essential for you; the peace of the country after your life in the capital refr

na gave Rudin

know, Dmitri Nikolaitch, even in the country one cannot do without society. An

an who was here last n

hough, even he is of use — h

nown trick. Simple-hearted people are quite ready to conclude that you are worth more than what you deny. And that’s often an error. In the first place, you can pick holes in anything; and secondly, even if you are right in what you say, it’s the worse for you; your intellect, directed by simple negati

genius you have for defining a man! But Pigasov certainly would not

o as to have the right to find

hailovna

is, “the sound by the sick.” By the

. . . and he will remain all his life half a savant, half a man of the world, that is to say, a di

ihailovna. ‘I read his article. . . . En

u here?’ asked Ru

off the ash of her cigare

ree neighbours besides, but they are really good for nothing. They either give themselves airs or are unsociable, or else quite unsuitably free and easy. The ladies, as you know, I see nothing of. There is one other of our neighbours said to be a very cult

very much,’ r

e has been married, mais c’est tout comme. . . . If I wer

all

e at least fresh, and fre

rarely happened with him. When he laughed his face assumed a strange,

as you call him, to whom Madame L

, Mihailo Mihailitc

stonished; he

litch?’ he questioned. ‘I

o you k

ot speak fo

s a rich man, I suppose?’ he added

ike a bailiff. I have been anxious to get him to come here; he is spoken of as c

bowed

any foreign crazes, but prefer what is our own, what is Russian, and, as y

, ‘of the absolutely mistaken position of those people

ilovna smi

; Lezhnyov: I have some business with him about a boundary. I have several times invited him here, and eve

nd the steward came in, a tall man, grey and bald, i

ning a little towards Rudin, she added in a low v

v is here,’ announced the s

Darya Mihailovna, ‘speak o

ward we

w he has come, it’s at the wrong m

s seat, but Darya Mi

o analyse him too, as you did Pigasov. When you talk, vous gravez comme avec un buri

the same grey overcoat, and in his sunburnt hands he carried the same old forag

began Darya Mihailovna. ‘Pray sit down. You are already acquaint

t Rudin and smile

,’ he assented, w

ersity,’ observed Rudin in a

ards also,’ remark

in some perplexity and asked L

’ he began, ‘on the su

ed to see you in any case. We are near ne

rds the boundary, we have perfectly arranged that matte

he contract could not be signed wit

way, allow me to ask: all your

st

lf about boundaries! Th

not speak f

or a personal interv

hailovna

such a tone. . . . You could not hav

re,’ rejoined Lezh

t you go to see A

friend of h

h, I am older than you, and I may be allowed to give you advice; what charm do you find in suc

house; but I will confess to you frankly I don’t like to have to stand on ceremony. A

belong to it, Mihailo Mihai

l very well, Darya Mihailov

Mihailo Mihailitch! What pleasure is th

ll off there, and besides, how do yo

ailovna b

e to express my regret that I have not the honour

seems to carry to excess a laudable

he only looked at Rudin.

ay consider our business as concluded, and

nfess you are so uncivil I

nt of the boundary is far more

vna shrugged

en have luncheon

ke luncheon, and I am

hailovna

aid, going to the window. ‘I w

began to

ezhnyov! Pardon me fo

’ said Lezhnyov,

ovna asked of Rudin. ‘I had heard he was ecce

ch egoism, much vanity, but little truth, little love. Indeed, there is even calculation of a sort in it. A man puts on a mask of indifference and indolence so that so

ent. ‘You are a terrible man at hitting p

ht not really to speak about Lezhnyov; I loved him, loved him as a f

quarr

d, and parted, it

to stop. I will let you go till lunch time and I will go and look after my business. My secretary, you saw him — Constantin, c’est lui qui est mon secretaire — must be waiting for me by now. I com

then raised it to his lips and went away to the drawing-room and fro