, made of a queer compound of our native
flour kneaded up with German treacle.'

'That is, you threw up your daily bread, Dmitri,' said Lezhnyov, laying
both hands on Rudin's shoulders.

'Yes, and again I was turned adrift, empty-handed and penniless, to fly
whither I listed. Ah! let us drink!'

'To your health!' said Lezhnyov, getting up and kissing Rudin on the
forehead. 'To your health and to the memory of Pokorsky. He, too, knew
how to be poor.'

'Well, that was number one of my adventures,' began Rudin, after a short
pause. 'Shall I go on?'

'Go on, please.'

'Ah! I have no wish for talking. I am tired of talking, brother....
However, so be it. After knocking about in various parts--by the way, I
might tell you how I became the secretary of a benevolent dignitary, and
what came of that; but that would take me too long.... After knocking
about in various parts, I resolved to become at last--don't smile,
please--a practical business man. The opportunity came in this way. I
became friendly with--he was much talked of at one time--a man called
Kurbyev.'

'Oh, I never heard of him. But, really, Dmitri, with your intelligence,
how was it you did not suspect that to be a business man was not the
business for you?'

'I know, brother, that it was not; but, then, what is the business
for me? But if you had seen Kurbyev! Do not, pray, fancy him as some
empty-headed chatterer. They say I was eloquent once. I was
simply nothing beside him. He was a man of wonderful learning and
knowledge,--an intellect, brother, a creative intellect, for business
and commercial enterprises. His brain seemed seething with the boldest,
the most unexpected schemes. I joined him and we decided to turn our
powers to a work of public utility.'

'What was it, may I know?'

Rudin dropped his eyes.

'You will laugh at it, Mihail.

'Why should I? No, I will not laugh.'

'We resolved to make a river in the K---- province fit for navigation,'
said Rudin with an embarrassed smile.

'Really! This Kurbyev was a capitalist, then?'

'He was poorer than I,' responded Rudin, and his grey head sank on his
breast.

Lezhnyov began to laugh, but he stopped suddenly and took Rudin by the
hand.

'Pardon me, brother, I beg,' he said, 'but I did not expect that. Well,
so I suppose your enterprise did not get further than paper?'

'Not so. A beginning was made. We hired workmen, and set to work. But
then we were met by various obstacles. In the f