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really　thought　so。　That　morning　Papa　had　a　particularly　winning；

bright；　and　happy　expression　on　his　face；　and　these　new　relations

between　us；　as　of　equals　and　comrades；　made　me　love　him　all　the

more。



〃Now；　tell　me；〃　he　went　on；　〃did　you　call　upon　all　our　kinsfolk

and　the　Iwins？　Did　you　see　the　old　man；　and　what　did　he　say　to

you？　And　did　you　go　to　Prince　Ivan's？〃



We　continued　talking　so　long　that；　before　we　were　fully　dressed；

the　sun　had　left　the　window　of　the　divannaia；　and　Jakoff　（the

same　old　man　who　of　yore　had　twirled　his　fingers　behind　his　back

and　always　repeated　his　words）　had　entered　the　room　and　reported

to　Papa　that　the　carriage　was　ready。



〃Where　are　you　going　to？〃　I　asked　Papa。



〃Oh；　I　had　forgotten　all　about　it！〃　he　replied；　with　a　cough　and

the　usual　hoisting　of　his　shoulder。　〃I　promised　to　go　and　call

upon　Epifanova　to…day。　You　remember　Epifanova'la　belle

Flamande'don't　you；　who　used　to　come　and　see　your　Mamma？　They

are　nice　people。〃　And　with　a　self…conscious　shrug　of　his

shoulders　（so　it　appeared　to　me）　Papa　left　the　room。



During　our　conversation；　Lubotshka　had　more　than　once　come　to　the

door　and　asked　〃Can　I　come　in？〃　but　Papa　had　always　shouted　to

her　that　she　could　not　do　so；　since　we　were　not　dressed　yet。



〃What　rubbish！〃　she　replied。　〃Why；　I　have　seen　you　in　your

dressing…gown。〃



〃Never　mind；　you　cannot　see　your　brothers　without　their

inexpressibles；〃　rejoined　Papa。　〃If　they　each　of　them　just　go　to

the　door；　let　that　be　enough　for　you。　Now　go。　Even　for　them　to

SPEAK　to　you　in　such　a　neglige　costume　is　unbecoming。〃



〃How　unbearable　you　are！〃　was　Lubotshka's　parting　retort。　〃Well；

at　least　hurry　up　and　come　down　to　the　drawing…room；　for　Mimi

wants　to　see　them。〃



As　soon　as　Papa　had　left　the　room；　I　hastened　to　array　myself　in

my　student's　uniform；　and　to　repair　to　the　drawing…room。



Woloda；　on　the　other　hand；　was　in　no　hurry；　but　remained　sitting

on　his　bed　and　talking　to　Jakoff　about　the　best　places　to　find

plover　and　snipe。　As　I　have　said；　there　was　nothing　in　the　world

he　so　much　feared　as　to　be　suspected　of　any　affection　for　his

father；　brother；　and　sister；　so　that；　to　escape　any　expression　of

that　feeling；　he　often　fell　into　the　other　extreme；　and　affected

a　coldness　which　shocked　people　who　did　not　comprehend　its　cause。

In　the　hall；　I　collided　with　Papa；　who　was　hurrying　towards　the

carriage　with　short；　rapid　steps。　He　had　a　new　and　fashionable

Moscow　greatcoat　on；　and　smelt　of　scent。　On　seeing　me；　he　gave　a

cheerful　nod；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃Do　you　remark　my　splendour？〃

and　once　again　I　was　struck　with　the　happy　expression　of　face

which　I　had　noted　earlier　in　the　morning。



The　drawing…room　looked　the　same　lofty；　bright　room　as　of　Yore；

with　its　brown　English　piano；　and　its　large　open　windows　looking

on　to　the　green　trees　and　yellowish…red　paths　of　the　garden。


After　kissing　Mimi　and　Lubotshka；　I　was　approaching　Katenka　for

the　same　purpose　when　it　suddenly　struck　me　that　it　might　be

improper　for　me　to　salute　her　in　that　fashion。　Accordingly　I

halted；　silent　and　blushing。　Katenka；　for　her　part；　was　quite　at

her　ease　as　she　held　out　a　white　hand　to　me　and　congratulated　me

on　my　passing　into　the　University。　The　same　thing　took　place　when

Woloda　entered　the　drawing…room　and　met　Katenka。　Indeed；　it　was

something　of　a　problem　how；　after　being　brought　up　together　and

seeing　one　another　daily；　we　ought　now；　after　this　first

separation；　to　meet　again。　Katenka　had　grown　better…looking　than

any　of　us；　yet　Woloda　seemed　not　at　all　confused　as；　with　a

slight　bow　to　her；　he　crossed　over　to　Lubotshka；　made　a　jesting

remark　to　her；　and　then　departed　somewhere　on　some　solitary

expedition。



XXIX



RELATIONS　BETWEEN　THE　GIRLS　AND　OURSELVES



OF　the　girls　Woloda　took　the　strange　view　that；　although　he

wished　that　they　should　have　enough　to　eat；　should　sleep　well；　be

well　dressed；　and　avoid　making　such　mistakes　in　French　as　would

shame　him　before　strangers；　he　would　never　admit　that　they　could

think　or　feel　like　human　beings；　still　less　that　they　could

converse　with　him　sensibly　about　anything。　Whenever　they

addressed　to　him　a　serious　question　（a　thing；　by　the　way；　which

he　always　tried　to　avoid）；　such　as　asking　his　opinion　on　a　novel

or　inquiring　about　his　doings　at　the　University；　he　invariably

pulled　a　grimace；　and　either　turned　away　without　speaking　or

answered　with　some　nonsensical　French　phrase〃Comme　c'est　tres

jolie！〃　or　the　like。　Or　again；　feigning　to　look　serious　and

stolidly　wise；　he　would　say　something　absolutely　meaningless　and

bearing　no　relation　whatever　to　the　question　asked　him；　or　else

suddenly　exclaim；　with　a　look　of　pretended　unconsciousness；　the

word　bulku　or　poyechali　or　kapustu；　＇Respectively；　〃　roll　of

butter；〃　〃away；〃　and　〃　cabbage。〃＇　or　something　of　the　kind；　and

when；　afterwards；　I　happened　to　repeat　these　words　to　him　as

having　been　told　me　by　Lubotshka　or　Katenka；　he　would　always

remark：



〃Hm！　So　you　actually　care　about　talking　to　them？　I　can　see　you

are　a　duffer　still〃and　one　needed　to　see　and　near　him　to

appreciate　the　profound；　immutable　contempt　which　echoed　in　this

remark。　He　had　been　grown…up　now　two　years；　and　was　in　love　with

every　good…looking　woman　that　he　met；　yet；　despite　the　fact　that

he　came　in　daily　contact　with　Katenka　（who　during　those　two　years

had　been　wearing　long　dresses；　and　was　growing　prettier　every

day）；　the　possibility　of　his　falling　in　love　with　her　never

seemed　to　enter　his　head。　Whether　this　proceeded　from　the　fact

that　the　prosaic　recollections　of　childhood　were　still　too　fresh

in　his　memory；　or　whether　from　the　aversion　which　very　young

people　feel　for　everything　domestic；　or　whether　from　the　common

human　weakness　which；　at　a　first　encounter　with　anything　fair　and

pretty；　leads　a　man　to　say　to　himself；　〃Ah！　I　shall　meet　much

more　of　the　same　kind　during　my　life；〃　but　at　all　events　Woloda

had　never　yet　looked　upon　Katenka　with　a　man's　eyes。



All　that　summer　Woloda　appeared　to　find　things　very　wearisomea

fact　which　arose　out　of　that　contempt　for　us　all　which；　as　I　have

said；　he　made　no　effort　to　conceal。　His　expression　of　face　seemed

to　be　constantly　saying；　〃Phew！　how　it　bores　me　to　have　no　one　to

speak　to！〃　The　first　thing　in　the　morning　he　would　go　out

shooting；　or　sit　reading　a　book　in　his　room；　and　not　dress　until

luncheon　time。　Indeed；　if　Papa　was　not　at　home；　he　would　take　his

book　into　that　meal；　and　go　on　reading　it　without　addressing　so

much　as　a　single　word　to　any　one　of　us；　who　felt；　somehow；　guilty

in　his　presence。　In　the　evening；　too；　he　would　stretch　himself　on

a　settee　in　the　drawing…room；　and　either　go　to　sleep；　propped　on

his　elbow；　or　tell　us　farcical　storiessometimes　stories　so

improper　as　to　make　Mimi　grow　angry　and　blush；　and　ourselves　die

with　laughter。　At　other　times　he　would　not　condescend　to　address

a　single　serious　word　to　any　member　of　the　family　except　Papa　or

（occasionally）　myself。　Involuntarily　I　offended　against　his　view

of　girls；　seeing　that　I　was　not　so　afraid　of　seeming　affectionate

as　he；　and；　moreover；　had　not　such　a　profound　and　confirmed

contempt　for　young　women。　Yet　several　times　that　summer；　when

driven　by　lack　of　amusement　to　try　and　engage　Lubotshka　and

Katenka　in　conversation；　I　always　encountered　in　them　such　an

absence　of　any　capacity　for　logical　thinking；　and　such　an

ignorance　of　the　simplest；　most　ordinary　matters　（as；　for

instance；　the　nature　of　money；　the　subjects　studied　at

universities；　the　effect　of　war；　and　so　forth）；　as　well　as　such

indifference　to　my　explanations　of　such　matters；　that　these

attempts　of　mine　only　ended　in　confirming　my　unfavourable　opinion

of　feminine　ability。



I　remember　one　evening　when　Lubotshka　kept　repeating　some

unbearably　tedious　passage　on　the　piano　about　a　hundred　times　in

succession；　while　Woloda；　who　was　dozing　on　a　settee　in　the

drawing…room；　kept　addressing　no　one　in　particular　as

he　muttered；　〃Lord！　how　she　murders　it！　WHAT　a　musician！　WHAT　a

Beethoven！〃　（he　always　pronounced　the　composer's　name　with

especial　irony）。　〃Wrong　again！　Nowa　second　time！　That's　it！〃

and　so　on。　Meanwhile　Katenka　and　I　were　sitting　by　the　tea…table；

and　somehow　she　began　to　talk　about　her　favourite　subjectlove。

I　was　in　the　right　frame　of　mind　to　philosophise；　and　began　by

loftily　defining　love　as　the　wish　to　acquire　in　another　what　one

does　not　possess　in　oneself。　To　this　Katenka　retorted　that；　on

the　contrary；　love　is　not　love　at　all　if　a　girl　desires　to　marry

a　man　for　his　money　alone；　but　that；　in　her　opinion；　riches　were

a　vain　thing；　and　true　love　only　the　affection　which　can　stand

the　test　of　separation　（this　I　took　to　be　a　hint　concerning　her

love　for　Dubkoff）。　At　this　point　Woloda；　who　must　have　been

listening　all　the　time；　raised　himself　on　his　elbow；　and　cried

out　some　rubbish　or　another；　and　I　felt　that　he　was　right。



Apart　from　the　general　faculties　（more　or　less　developed　in

different　persons）　of　intellect；　sensibility；　and　artistic

feeling；　there　also　exists　（more　or　less　developed　in　different

circles　of　society；　and　especially　in　families）　a　private　or

individual　faculty　which　I　may　call　APPREHENSION。　The　essence　of

this　faculty　lies　in　sympathetic　appreciation　of　proportion；　and

in　identical　understanding　of　things。　Two　individuals　who　possess

this　faculty　and　belong　to　the　same　social　circle　or　the　same

family　apprehend　an　expression　of　feeling　precisely　to　the　same

point；　namely；　the　point　beyond　which　such　expression　becomes

mere　phrasing。　Thus　they　apprehend　precisely　where　commendation

ends　and　irony　begins；　where　attraction　ends　and　pretence　begins；

in　a　manner　which　would　be　impossible　for　persons　possessed　of　a

different　order　of　apprehension。　Persons　possessed　of　identical

apprehension　view　objects　in　an　identically　ludicrous；　beautiful；

or　repellent　light；