the same. Catching sight of Alexandra
Pavlovna he at once stopped his horse and turned round towards her.
His broad and colourless face with its small light grey eyes and almost
white moustache seemed all in the same tone of colour as his clothes.

'Good-morning!' he began, with a lazy smile; 'what are you doing here,
if I may ask?'

'I have been visiting a sick woman... And where have you come from,
Mihailo Mihailitch?'

The man addressed as Mihailo Mihailitch looked into her eyes and smiled
again.

'You do well,' he said, 'to visit the sick, but wouldn't it be better
for you to take her into the hospital?'

'She is too weak; impossible to move her.'

'But don't you intend to give up your hospital?'

'Give it up? Why?'

'Oh, I thought so.'

'What a strange notion! What put such an idea into your head?'

'Oh, you are always with Madame Lasunsky now, you know, and seem to be
under her influence. And in her words--hospitals, schools, and all that
sort of things, are mere waste of time--useless fads. Philanthropy
ought to be entirely personal, and education too, all that is the soul's
work... that's how she expresses herself, I believe. From whom did she
pick up that opinion I should like to know?'

Alexandra Pavlovna laughed.

'Darya Mihailovna is a clever woman, I like and esteem her very much;
but she may make mistakes, and I don't put faith in everything she
says.'

'And it's a very good thing you don't,' rejoined Mihailo Mihailitch, who
all the while remained sitting in his droshky, 'for she doesn't put much
faith in what she says herself. I'm very glad I met you.'

'Why?'

'That's a nice question! As though it wasn't always delightful to meet
you? To-day you look as bright and fresh as this morning.'

Alexandra Pavlovna laughed again.

'What are you laughing at?'

'What, indeed! If you could see with what a cold and indifferent face
you brought out your compliment! I wonder you didn't yawn over the last
word!'

'A cold face.... You always want fire; but fire is of no use at all. It
flares and smokes and goes out.'

'And warms,'... put in Alexandra Pavlovna.

'Yes... and burns.'

'Well, what if it does burn! That's no great harm either! It's better
anyway than----'

'Well, we shall see what you will say when you do get nicely burnt one
day,' Mihailo Mihailitch interrupted her in a tone of vexation and made
a cut at the horse with the reins, 'Good-bye.'

'Mihailo Mihailitch, stop a mi