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"We Russians of the educated class have a not go into such subtle. I did not leave a
partiality for these questions that remain clod of earth unturned; I gathered
unanswered. Love is usually beautiful, together all the peasants, men and
decorated with roses, nightingales; we women, from the neighbouring villages;
Russians decorate our loves with these the work went on at a tremendous pace. I
momentous questions, and select the myself ploughed and sowed and reaped,
most uninteresting of them, too. In and was bored doing it, and frowned with
Moscow, when I was a student, I had a disgust, like a village cat driven by hunger
friend who shared my life, a charming to eat cucumbers in the kitchen-garden.
lady, and every time I took her in my arms My body ached, and I slept as I walked. At
she was thinking what I would allow her a first it seemed to me that I could easily
month for housekeeping and what was the reconcile this life of toil with my cultured
price of beef a pound. In the habits; to do so, I thought, all
same way, when we are in that is necessary is to
love we are never tired of maintain a certain
asking ourselves questi external order in life. I
ons: whether it is established myself
honourable or upstairs here in the best
dishonourable, sensible rooms, and ordered them
or stupid, what this love is to bring me there coffee and
leading up to, and so on. liquor after lunch and
Whether it is a good thing or dinner, and when I went to
not I don't know, but that it is bed I read every night the
in the way, unsatisfactory, and _Yyesnik Evropi_. But one day our
irritating, I do know." priest, Father Ivan, came and drank
up all my liquor at one sitting; and the
It looked as though he wanted to tell some _Yyesnik Evropi_ went to the priest's
story. People who lead a solitary existence daughters; as in the summer, especially at
always have something in their hearts the farm, I did not succeed in getting to
which they are eager to talk about. In my bed at all, and slept in the sledge in
town bachelors visit the baths and the the barn, or somewhere in the forester's
restaurants on purpose to talk, and lodge, what chance was there of reading?
sometimes tell the most interesting things Little by little I moved downstairs, began
to bath attendants and waiters; in the dining in the servants' kitchen, and of my
country, as a rule, they unbosom former luxury nothing is left but the
themselves to their guests. Now from the servants who were in my father's service,
window we could see a grey sky, trees and whom it would be painful to turn
drenched in the rain; in such weather we away.__
could go nowhere, and there was nothing
for us to do but to tell stories and to "In the first years I was elected here an
listen. honourary justice of the peace. I used to
have to go to the town and take part in the
"I have lived at Sofino and been farming sessions of the congress and of the circuit
for a long time," Alehin began, "ever since court, and this was a pleasant change for
I left the University. I am an idle me. When you live here for two or three
gentleman by education, a studious months without a break, especially in the
person by disposition; but there was a big winter, you begin at last to pine for a
debt owing on the estate when I came black coat. And in the circuit court there
here, and as my father was in debt partly were frock-coats, and uniforms, and
because he had spent so much on my dress-coats, too, all lawyers, men who
education, I resolved not to go away, but have received a general education; I had
to work till I paid off the debt. I made up someone to talk to. After sleeping in the
my mind to this and set to work, not, I sledge and dining in the kitchen, to sit in
must confess, without some repugnance. an arm-chair in clean linen, in thin boots,
The land here does not yield much, and if with a chain on one's waistcoat, is such
one is not to farm at a loss one must luxury!
employ serf labour or hired labourers,
which is almost the same thing, or put it "I received a warm welcome in the town. I
on a peasant footing -- that is, work the made friends eagerly. And of all my
fields oneself and with one's family. There acquaintanceships the most intimate and,
is no middle path. But in those days I did to tell the truth, the most agreeable to me
Extensive Listening & Reading | 19
