disturbed him? what change had he noticed in these two
days? Natalya had behaved to him exactly the same as before....

Whether it was that some idea had come upon him that he perhaps did not
know Natalya's character at all--that she was more a stranger to him
than he had thought,--or jealousy had begun to work in him, or he had
some dim presentiment of ill... anyway, he suffered, though he tried to
reason with himself.

When he came in to his sister's room, Lezhnyov was sitting with her.

'Why have you come back so early?' asked Alexandra Pavlovna.

'Oh! I was bored.'

'Was Rudin there?'

'Yes.'

Volintsev flung down his cap and sat down. Alexandra Pavlovna turned
eagerly to him.

'Please, Serezha, help me to convince this obstinate man (she signified
Lezhnyov) that Rudin is extraordinarily clever and eloquent.'

Volintsev muttered something.

'But I am not disputing at all with you,' Lezhnyov began. 'I have no
doubt of the cleverness and eloquence of Mr. Rudin; I only say that I
don't like him.'

'But have you seen him?' inquired Volintsev.

'I saw him this morning at Darya Mihallovna's. You know he is her
first favourite now. The time will come when she will part with
him--Pandalevsky is the only man she will never part with--but now he is
supreme. I saw him, to be sure! He was sitting there,--and she showed me
off to him, "see, my good friend, what queer fish we have here!" But I
am not a prize horse, to be trotted out on show, so I took myself off.'

'But how did you come to be there?'

'About a boundary; but that was all nonsense; she simply wanted to
have a look at my physiognomy. She's a fine lady,--that's explanation
enough!'

'His superiority is what offends you--that's what it is!' began
Alexandra Pavlovna warmly, 'that's what you can't forgive. But I am
convinced that besides his cleverness he must have an excellent heart as
well. You should see his eyes when he----'

'"Of purity exalted speaks,"' quoted Lezhnyov.

'You make me angry, and I shall cry. I am heartily sorry I did not go
to Darya Mihailovna's, but stopped with you. You don't deserve it. Leave
off teasing me,' she added, in an appealing voice, 'You had much better
tell me about his youth.'

'Rudin's youth?'

'Yes, of course. Didn't you tell me you knew him well, and had known him
a long time?'

Lezhnyov got up and walked up and down the room.

'Yes,' he began, 'I do know him well. You want me to tell you about
his you