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orders；　in　my　paying　a　round　of　calls　which　he　had　written　out

for　me　on　a　piece　of　paperhis　first　solicitude　on　our　account

being　not　so　much　for　our　morals　or　our　education　as　for　our　due

observance　of　the　convenances。　On　the　piece　of　paper　was　written

in　his　swift；　broken　hand…writing：　〃（1）　Prince　Ivan　Ivanovitch

WITHOUT　FAIL；　（2）　the　Iwins　WITHOUT　FAIL；　（3）　Prince　Michael；　（4）

the　Princess　Nechludoff　and　Madame　Valakhina　if　you　wish。〃　Of

course　I　was　also　to　call　upon　my　guardian；　upon　the　rector；　and

upon　the　professors。



These　last…mentioned　calls；　however；　Dimitri　advised　me　not　to

pay：　saying　that　it　was　not　only　unnecessary　to　do　so；　but　not

the　thing。　However；　there　were　the　other　visits　to　be　got

through。　It　was　the　first　two　on　the　listthose　marked　as　to　be

paid　〃WITHOUT　FAIL〃that　most　alarmed　me。　Prince　Ivan　Ivanovitch

was　a　commander…in…chief；　as　well　as　old；　wealthy；　and　a

bachelor。　Consequently；　I　foresaw　that　vis…a…vis　conversation

between　him　and　myselfmyself　a　sixteen…year…old　student！was

not　likely　to　be　interesting。　As　for　the　Iwins；　they　too　were

richthe　father　being　a　departmental　official　of　high　rank　who

had　only　on　one　occasion　called　at　our　house　during　my

grandmother's　time。　Since　her　death；　I　had　remarked　that　the

younger　Iwin　had　fought　shy　of　us；　and　seemed　to　give　himself

airs。　The　elder　of　the　pair；　I　had　heard；　had　now　finished　his

course　in　jurisprudence；　and　gone　to　hold　a　post　in　St。

Petersburg；　while　his　brother　Sergius　（the　former　object　of　my

worship）　was　also　in　St。　Petersburg；　as　a　great　fat　cadet　in　the

Corps　of　Pages。



When　I　was　a　young　man；　not　only　did　I　dislike　intercourse　with

people　who　thought　themselves　above　me；　but　such　intercourse　was；

for　me；　an　unbearable　torture；　owing　partly　to　my　constant　dread

of　being　snubbed；　and　partly　to　my　straining　every　faculty　of　my

intellect　to　prove　to　such　people　my　independence。　Yet；　even　if　I

failed　to　fulfil　the　latter　part　of　my　father's　instructions；　I

felt　that　I　must　carry　out　the　former。　I　paced　my　room　and　eyed

my　clothes　ready　disposed　on　chairsthe　tunic；　the　sword；　and

the　cap。　Just　as　I　was　about　to　set　forth；　old　Grap　called　to

congratulate　me；　bringing　with　him　Ilinka。　Grap　pere　was　a

Russianised　German　and　an　intolerably　effusive；　sycophantic　old

man　who　was　more　often　than　not　tipsy。　As　a　rule；　he　visited　us

only　when　he　wanted　to　ask　for　something；　and　although　Papa

sometimes　entertained　him　in　his　study；　old　Grap　never　came　to

dinner　with　us。　With　his　subserviency　and　begging　propensities

went　such　a　faculty　of　good…humour　and　a　power　of　making　himself

at　home　that　every　one　looked　upon　his　attachment　to　us　as　a

great　honour。　For　my　part；　however；　I　never　liked　him；　and　felt

ashamed　when　he　was　speaking。



I　was　much　put　out　by　the　arrival　of　these　visitors；　and　made　no

effort　to　conceal　the　fact。　Upon　Ilinka　I　had　been　so　used　to

look　down；　and　he　so　used　to　recognise　my　right　to　do　so；　that　it

displeased　me　to　think　that　he　was　now　as　much　a　matriculated

student　as　myself。　In　some　way　he　appeared　to　me　to　have　made　a

POINT　of　attaining　that　equality。　I　greeted　the　pair　coldly；　and；

without　offering　them　any　refreshment　（since　it　went　against　the

grain　to　do　so；　and　I　thought　they　could　ask　for　anything；　if

they　wanted　it；　without　my　first　inviting　them　to　state　their

requirements）；　gave　orders　for　the　drozhki　to　be　got　ready。

Ilinka　was　a　good…natured；　extremely　moral；　and　far　from　stupid

young　fellow；　yet；　for　all　that；　what　people　call　a　person　of

moods。　That　is　to　say；　for　no　apparent　reason　he　was　for　ever　in

some　PRONOUNCED　frame　of　mindnow　lachrymose；　now　frivolous；　now

touchy　on　the　very　smallest　point。　At　the　present　moment　he

appeared　to　be　in　the　last…named　mood。　He　kept　looking　from　his

father　to　myself　without　speaking；　except　when　directly

addressed；　at　which　times　he　smiled　the　self…deprecatory；　forced

smile　under　which　he　was　accustomed　to　conceal　his　feelings；　and

more　especially　that　feeling　of　shame　for　his　father　which　he

must　have　experienced　in　our　house。



〃So；　Nicolas　Petrovitch；〃　the　old　man　said　to　me；　following　me

everywhere　about　the　room　as　I　went　through　the　operation　of

dressing；　while　all　the　while　his　fat　fingers　kept　turning　over

and　over　a　silver　snuff…box　with　which　my　grandmother　had　once

presented　me；　〃as　soon　as　ever　I　heard　from　my　son　that　you　had

passed　your　examinations　so　well　（though　of　course　your　abilities

are　well…known　to　everyone）；　I　at　once　came　to　congratulate　you；

my　dear　boy。　Why；　I　have　carried　you　on　my　shoulders　before　now；

and　God　knows　that　I　love　you　as　though　you　were　my　own　son。　My

Ilinka　too　has　always　been　fond　of　you；　and　feels　quite　at　home

with　you。〃



Meanwhile　the　said　Ilinka　remained　sitting　silently　by　the

window；　apparently　absorbed　in　contemplation　of　my　three…cornered

cap；　and　every　now　and　then　angrily　muttering　something　in　an

undertone。



〃Now；　I　also　wanted　to　ask　you；　Nicolas　Petrovitch。〃　His　father

went　on；　〃whether　my　son　did　well　in　the　examinations？　He　tells

me　that　he　is　going　to　be　in　the　same　faculty　as　yourself；　and

that　therefore　you　will　be　able　to　keep　an　eye　on　him；　and　advise

him；　and　so　on。〃



〃Oh；　yes；　I　suppose　he　passed　well；〃　I　replied；　with　a　glance　at

Ilinka；　who；　conscious　of　my　gaze；　reddened　violently　and　ceased

to　move　his　lips　about。

〃And　might　he　spend　the　day　with　you？〃　was　the　father's　next

request；　which　he　made　with　a　deprecatory　smile；　as　though　he

stood　in　actual　awe　of　me；　yet　always　keeping　so　close　to　me；

wherever　I　moved；　that　the　fumes　of　the　drink　and　tobacco　in

which　he　had　been　indulging　were　constantly　perceptible　to　my

nostrils。　I　felt　greatly　vexed　at　his　placing　me　in　such　a　false

position　towards　his　son；　as　well　as　at　his　distracting　my

attention　from　what　was；　to　me；　a　highly　important　operation

namely；　the　operation　of　dressing；　while；　over　and　above　all；　I

was　annoyed　by　the　smell　of　liquor　with　which　he　followed　me

about。　Accordingly；　I　said　very　coldly　that　I　could　not　have　the

pleasure　of　Ilinka's　company　that　day；　since　I　should　be　out。



〃Ah！　I　suppose　you　are　going　to　see　your　sister？〃　put　in　Ilinka

with　a　smile；　but　without　looking　at　me。　〃Well；　I　too　have

business　to　attend　to。〃　At　this　I　felt　even　more　put　out；　as　well

as　pricked　with　compunction；　so；　to　soften　my　refusal　a　little；　I

hastened　to　say　that　the　reason　why　I　should　not　be　at　home　that

day　was　that　I　had　to　call　upon　the　PRINCE　Ivan　Ivanovitch；　the

PRINCESS　Kornakoff；　and　the　Monsieur　Iwin　who　held　such　an

influential　post；　as　well　as；　probably；　to　dine　with　the　PRINCESS

Nechludoff　（for　I　thought　that；　on　learning　what　important　folk　I

was　in　the　habit　of　mixing　with；　the　Graps　would　no　longer　think

it　worth　while　to　pretend　to　me）。　However；　just　as　they　were

leaving；　I　invited　Ilinka　to　come　and　see　me　another　day；　but　he

only　murmured　something　unintelligible；　and　it　was　plain　that　he

meant　never　to　set　foot　in　the　house　again。



When　they　had　departed；　I　set　off　on　my　round　of　calls。　Woloda；

whom　I　had　asked　that　morning　to　come　with　me；　in　order　that　I

might　not　feel　quite　so　shy　as　when　altogether　alone；　had

declined　on　the　ground　that　for　two　brothers　to　be　seen　driving

in　one　drozhki　would　appear　so　horribly　〃proper。〃



XVIII



THE　VALAKHIN　FAMILY



Accordingly　I　set　off　alone。　My　first　call　on　the　route　lay　at

the　Valakhin　mansion。　It　was　now　three　years　since　I　had　seen

Sonetchka；　and　my　love　for　her　had　long　become　a　thing　of　the

past；　yet　there　still　lingered　in　my　heart　a　sort　of　clear；

touching　recollection　of　our　bygone　childish　affection。　At

intervals；　also；　during　those　three　years；　I　had　found　myself

recalling　her　memory　with　such　force　and　vividness　that　I　had

actually　shed　tears；　and　imagined　myself　to　be　in　love　with　her

again；　but　those　occasions　had　not　lasted　more　than　a　few　minutes

at　a　time；　and　had　been　long　in　recurring。



I　knew　that　Sonetchka　and　her　mother　had　been　abroadthat；　in

fact；　they　had　been　so　for　the　last　two　years。　Also；　I　had　heard

that　they　had　been　in　a　carriage　accident；　and　that　Sonetchka's

face　had　been　so　badly　cut　with　the　broken　glass　that　her　beauty

was　marred。　As　I　drove　to　their　house；　I　kept　recalling　the　old

Sonetchka　to　my　mind；　and　wondering　what　she　would　look　like　when

I　met　her。　Somehow　I　imagined　that；　after　her　two　years'　sojourn

abroad；　she　would　look　very　tall；　with　a　beautiful　waist；　and；

though　sedate　and　imposing；　extremely　attractive。　Somehow；　also；

my　imagination　refused　to　picture　her　with　her　face　disfigured

with　scars；　but；　on　the　contrary；　since　I　had　read　somewhere　of　a

lover　who　remained　true　to　his　adored　one　in　spite　of　her

disfigurement　with　smallpox；　strove　to　imagine　that　I　was　in　love

with　Sonetchka；　for　the　purpose　of　priding　myself　on　holding　to

my　troth　in　spite　of　her　scarsYet；　as　a　matter　o