vsky. 'I am
surprised at his not understanding his position!'

Darya Mihailovna was very much agitated, and Natalya suffered for it

She asked Rudin to sit down. He sat down, but not like the old Rudin,
almost master of the house, not even like an old friend, but like a
guest, and not even a very intimate guest. All this took place in a
single instant... so water is suddenly transformed into solid ice.

'I have come to you, Darya Mihailovna,' began Rudin, 'to thank you for
your hospitality. I have had some news to-day from my little estate, and
it is absolutely necessary for me to set off there to-day.'

Darya Mihailovna looked attentively at Rudin.

'He has anticipated me; it must be because he has some suspicion,' she
thought. 'He spares one a disagreeable explanation. So much the better.
Ah! clever people for ever!'

'Really?' she replied aloud. 'Ah! how disappointing! Well, I suppose
there's no help for it. I shall hope to see you this winter in Moscow.
We shall soon be leaving here.'

'I don't know, Darya Mihailovna, whether I shall succeed in getting to
Moscow, but, if I can manage it, I shall regard it as a duty to call on
you.'

'Aha, my good sir!' Pandalevsky in his turn reflected; 'it's not long
since you behaved like the master here, and now this is how you have to
express yourself!'

'Then I suppose you have unsatisfactory news from your estate?' he
articulated, with his customary ease.

'Yes,' replied Rudin drily.

'Some failure of crops, I suppose?'

'No; something else. Believe me, Darya Mihailovna,' added Rudin, 'I
shall never forget the time I have spent in your house.'

'And I, Dmitri Nikolaitch, shall always look back upon our acquaintance
with you with pleasure. When must you start?'

'To-day, after dinner.'

'So soon!... Well, I wish you a successful journey. But, if your affairs
do not detain you, perhaps you will look us up again here.'

'I shall scarcely have time,' replied Rudin, getting up. 'Excuse me,'
he added; 'I cannot at once repay you my debt, but directly I reach my
place----'

'Nonsense, Dmitri Nikolaitch!' Darya Mihailovna cut him short. 'I wonder
you're not ashamed to speak of it!... What o'clock is it?' she asked.

Pandalevsky drew a gold and enamel watch out of his waistcoat pocket,
and looked at it carefully, bending his rosy cheek over his stiff, white
collar.

'Thirty-three minutes past two,' he announced.

'It is time to dress,' observed Darya Mihailovn