"What were you talking about?" he said, knitting his brows, and

turning his scared eyes from one to the other. "What was it?"

"Oh, nothing," Konstantin answered in confusion.

"Oh, if you don't want to say, don't. Only it's no good your

talking to her. She's a wench, and you're a gentleman," he said

with a jerk of the neck. "You understand everything, I see, and

have taken stock of everything, and look with commiseration on my

shortcomings," he began again, raising his voice.

"Nikolay Dmitrievitch, Nikolay Dmitrievitch," whispered Marya

Nikolaevna, again going up to him.

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"Oh, very well, very well!... But where's the supper? Ah, here

it is," he said, seeing a waiter with a tray. "Here, set it

here," he added angrily, and promptly seizing the vodka, he

poured out a glassful and drank it greedily. "Like a drink?" he

turned to his brother, and at once became better humored.

"Well, enough of Sergey Ivanovitch. I'm glad to see you, anyway.

After all's said and done, we're not strangers. Come, have a

drink. Tell me what you're doing," he went on, greedily munching

a piece of bread, and pouring out another glassful. "How are you

living?"

"I live alone in the country, as I used to. I'm busy looking

after the land," answered Konstantin, watching with horror the

greediness with which his brother ate and drank, and trying to

conceal that he noticed it.

"Why don't you get married?"

"It hasn't happened so," Konstantin answered, reddening a little.

"Why not? For me now...everything's at an end! I've made a mess

of my life. But this I've said, and I say still, that if my

share had been given me when I needed it, my whole life would

have been different."

Konstantin made haste to change the conversation.

"Do you know your little Vanya's with me, a clerk in the

countinghouse at Pokrovskoe."

Nikolay jerked his neck, and sank into thought.

"Yes, tell me what's going on at Pokrovskoe. Is the house

standing still, and the birch trees, and our schoolroom? And

Philip the gardener, is he living? How I remember the arbor and

the seat! Now mind and don't alter anything in the house, but

make haste and get married, and make everything as it used to be

again. Then I'll come and see you, if your wife is nice."

"But come to me now," said Levin. "How nicely we would arrange

it!"




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