irst place the millowners
would not meet us favourably at all; and more than that, we could not
turn the water out of its course without machinery, and we had not money
enough for machinery. For six months we lived in mud huts. Kurbyev lived
on dry bread, and I, too, had not much to eat. However, I don't complain
of that; the scenery there is something magnificent. We struggled and
struggled on, appealing to merchants, writing letters and circulars. It
ended in my spending my last farthing on the project.'

'Well!' observed Lezhnyov, 'I imagine to spend your last farthing,
Dmitri, was not a difficult matter?'

'It was not difficult, certainly.'

Rudin looked out of the window.

'But the project really was not a bad one, and it might have been of
immense service.'

'And where did Kurbyev go to?' asked Lezhnyov.

'Oh, he is now in Siberia, he has become a gold-digger. And you will see
he will make himself a position; he will get on.'

'Perhaps; but then you will not be likely to make a position for
yourself, it seems.'

'Well, that can't be helped! But I know I was always a frivolous
creature in your eyes.'

'Hush, brother; there was a time, certainly, when I saw your weak side;
but now, believe me, I have learnt to value you. You will not make
yourself a position. And I love you, Dmitri, for that, indeed I do!'

Rudin smiled faintly.

'Truly?'

'I respect you for it!' repeated Lezhnyov. 'Do you understand me?'

Both were silent for a little.

'Well, shall I proceed to number three?' asked Rudin.

'Please do.'

'Very well. The third and last. I have only now got clear of number
three. But am I not boring you, Mihail?'

'Go on, go on.'

'Well,' began Rudin, 'once the idea occurred to me at some leisure
moment--I always had plenty of leisure moments--the idea occurred to me;
I have knowledge enough, my intentions are good. I suppose even you will
not deny me good intentions?'

'I should think not!'

'In all other directions I had failed more or less... why should I not
become an instructor, or speaking simply a teacher... rather than waste
my life?'

Rudin stopped and sighed.

'Rather than waste my life, would it not be better to try to pass on to
others what I know; perhaps they may extract at least some use from my
knowledge. My abilities are above the ordinary anyway, I am a master
of language. So I resolved to devote myself to this new work. I had
difficulty in obtaining a post; I did not