" I don't understand, uncle "
" What is there you don't understand ? you understand well enough! I have been at Madame Taphaev's; she has told me all."
"What!" stammered Alexandr in violent confusion. " She has told you all! '*
"Yes, all. How she loves you ! You lucky fellow ! Well, you were always lamenting that you could not find passion; here you have passion; b6 comforted ! "
" What did you go to see her about ? "
" She asked me, and complained to me of you. Certainly I wonder you're not ashamed to neglect her like this ? for four days you have not set eyes on her .... it's no
joking matter. She is pale, dying ! Come, go directly to her."
" What did you say to her ? "
" Oh, the ordinary things, that you, too, love her to distraction, that you have long been seeking a sympathetic heart; that you are passionately fond of sincere outpourings ; and that you, too, cannot live without love. I said that she was uneasy without cause; that you would come back. I advised her not to coop you up too much, to let you amuse yourself a little sometimes, else, I told her, you will begin to bore each other—in fact, what is usually said on such occasions. I cheered her up so that she proceeded to tell me you had decided to be married, that my wife had already helped in the matter. But never a word to me—these women ! Well, thank God she has something of her own ; you can spend it between you. I told her that you would
certainly carry out your engagement I did my best for
you just now, Alexandr, in gratitude for the service you did me. I convinced her that you love so passionately, so tenderly. ,,
" What have you done, uncle!" said Alexandr, changing countenance. " I—I don't love her any more ! I don't want to marry her ! I feel cold to her, as cold as ice ! I'd sooner drown myself than "
" Pooh, pooh !" said Piotr Ivanitch, with simulated incredulity ; " is it you I am listening to ? Didn't you say—do you remember ?—that you despise human nature, especially feminine human nature; that there was no heart in the world deserving of you? What more did you say? Let me remember "
" For Heaven's sake, not a word more, uncle; that is reproach enough; what need to moralise farther ? Do you think I don't understand. O man, man !"
He suddenly began to laugh, and his uncle joined in.
" Weil, that's better !" said Piotr Ivanitch; " I said you would come to laugh at yourself, and here "
And both laughed again.
" But I say," Piotr Ivanitch went on, " what is your opinion now of that—what's-her-name—Pashenka, was it ?—with the wart ? "
" Uncle that's not magnanimous."
N
" No; I only speak of it to discover whether you still despise her just the same ? "
" Stop that, for Heaven's sake, and help me instead to get out of an awful position. You are so sensible, so judicious "
" Oh, now for compliments and flattery ! No, you get along and marry her."
" Not for anything, uncle! I entreat you, aid me."
" Come, don't worry; I have helped you already," said his uncle. "Don't be uneasy; Madame Taphaev will not trouble you further."
" What have you done ? What have you told her ? "
"It's too long to repeat, Alexandr; it would be tedious."
" But most likely you have been saying all sorts of things to her. She will hate and despise me."
" What does it matter to you ? I quieted her—that was enough ; I told her that you weren't capable of love; that it wasn't worth while troubling about you."
" What did she say ? "
"She is positively glad now that you have deserted her."
" What! glad!" said Alexandr gloomily.
"Yes, glad."
"Did you notice no regret, no grief in her? was she indifferent ? This is beyond everything."
He began to pace the room uneasily.
" Glad, calm !" he repeated; " that's a nice idea! I will go to her this instant."
" Here's a man !" observed Piotr Ivanitch, " this is the heart; you may live among men—you will be all right But were you not afraid of her sending for you ? did you not beg for assistance ? and now you are upset because she isn't dying of grief at being separated from you."
" How mean I am, how worthless !" said Alexandr, falter-ingly ; " I have no heart! I am pitiful, base in spirit!"
" And all through love!" interposed Piotr Iv anitch . " Such a stupid pursuit; leave it to fellows like £iirkol But you are a sensible boy; you might busy yourself-wtth something of more consequence. You have done enough running after women."
" But you love your wife, I suppose ? "
" Yes, of course. I am very well suited to her, but it
does not prevent me from doing my work. Well, good-bye,
come in."
Alexandr sat perplexed and gloomy. Yevsay stole up to him with a boot, into which he thrust his hand.
" Kindly look at it, sir," he said tenderly, " what blacking! you can shine it like a mirror, but it costs only sixpence !"
Alexandr started, looked mechanically at the boot, then at Yevsay.
" Get away !" he said, " you idiot!"
" We ought to send some to the country," Yevsay began again.
" Get away, I tell you, go away ! " shrieked Alexai almost in tears ; " you bother me ... . you and youi/fioog will worry me into my grave .... you're .... a savage!"
Yevsay quickly vanished into the ante-room.
CHAPTER X.
" Why is it Alexandr does not come to see us ? I haven't seen him these three months," said Piotr Ivanitch to his wife as he came home one day.
" I have quite given up the idea of ever seeing him," she replied.
" Why, what's the matter with him ? Is he in love again, or what ? "
" I don't know."
" Is he quite well ? "
" Yes."
" Please write to him that I want to have a little conversation with him. There will be changes among them at his office again, and I fancy he does not know it.«, I don't understand such carelessness."
" I have written and invited him ten times already. He says he has no time, but all the same he plays draughts with some queer companions and goes out angling. You had better go yourself; you would find out what's wrong with him."
" What is he up to now ? There is no help for it, I will go. But it's the last time, I declare."
Piotr Ivanitch, too, found Alexandr on the sofa. On his uncle's entrance he got up and took a seat.
" Are you unwell ? " inquired Piotr Ivanitch.
" So, so/' replied Alexandr, yawning.
" What are you doing ? "
" Nothing."
" And you can exist without doing anything ? "
" Yes."
" I've been told to-day, Alexandr, that Ivanoff is leaving your department!"
" Yes, he's leaving."
" Who will succeed him ? "
" They say Ichenko."
" And what about you ? "
" They don't think enough of me. And probably I am not fitted for it."
" Good Heavens, Alexandr, you must bestir yourself. You ought to go and see the director."
" No," said Alexandr, shaking his head.
u But this is now the third time you've been passed over."
" I don't care ; so be it."
" Come, think a little, what will you say when your former subordinate begins to give you orders, or when he comes in and you have to get up and salute him ? "
" Why, I shall get up and salute him."
" But your self-respect ? "
" I have none."
" But you have some interests of some kind in life ? "
" None at all. I had and they are over."
"That cannot be; one set of interests replaces another. Why are they over for you, and not over for other people ? It would be rather early for that, I should say ; you are not yet thirty."
Alexandr shrugged his shoulders.
u Do remember that you, like every one else, ought to make for yourself a career of some kind. Do you sometimes think of that ? "