A House of Gentlefolk

did not begin her part. He stopped and looked at her. Lisa’s eyes were fixed directly on him, and e

e matter?”

ed you Christopher Fedoritch’s cantata on the expre

veta Mihalovna, the word

ngs and mine too. Now he

ver since I was a little boy I could never

German is poor, lonely, and broken-down — have

a little t

that’s to blame. No, don’t contradict me; I know myself. So much harm has come to me

nerally ended by talking of himself, and the subject was changed by

; you — well, I don’t know your opinion of me; but on the other hand your aunt simply can’t bear me. I m

ith some reluctance,

ver the keys, and a scarcely perc

said, “do you too

I don’t consider you an egoist; on the cont

retched sketches with which I adorn your album, and so forth. I might do all that — and be an egoist all the same. I venture to think that you don’t find m

l, like all men of the world,”

frowned

f the book on the music stand, “think what you like of me, call me an egoist even — so be it! but don’t call me a man of the world; that name’s insufferabl

let us begin

ctised thoroughly he played very nicely, but he played at sight badly. So the second part of the sonata — a rather quick allegro

ay; it’s a good thing Lemm did not

he piano, and turne

going to do

h, since it’s not quite dark. Perhaps the other muse, the muse of painting — what was her name? I have forgo

et, and rubbed his nails and looked as it were critically at his hands. He had beautiful white hands; on the second fi

scape — and capitally too. Excellent! only just here — give me

landscape: in the foreground large disheveled trees, a stretch of meadow in the backg

d Panshin, holding his head to right and to left

stiff bow was about to leave it; but Panshin, throwi

topher Fedoritch? Aren’t you goi

d Lemm in a surly vo

stop. We’ll have an argu

es,” repeate

in, taking hold of him affectionately and smiling brightly, “but we coul

again,” replied Lemm, removing P

m. She overtook h

him in German, accompanying him over the short green gr

ade no

ata; I felt sure he would appreciate it

sto

s own language, “but he cannot understand anything; how is

a, “he understands everything, and h

s, and he is glad it is so — and so much the better. I’m not angry; the cantat

stopher Fedoritch

re a good girl . . . but here is some one comin

to him (he always saluted all new faces in the town of O——-; from acquaintances he always turned aside in the street — that was the rule he had laid down for hi