her parents were entirely ignorant of French, but that did not make
things any better for her.

As to Ivan Petrovich, he did not know what to do with himself for
vexation and ennui; he had not spent quite a year in the country, but
even this time seemed to him like ten years. It was only with his
mother that he was at ease in spirit; and for whole hours he used to
sit in her low suite of rooms listening to the good lady's simple,
unconnected talk, and stuffing himself with preserves. It happened
that among Anna Pavlovna's maids there was a very pretty girl named
Malania. Intelligent and modest, with calm, sweet eyes, and finely-cut
features, she pleased Ivan Petrovich from the very first, and he soon
fell in love with her. He loved her timid gait, her modest replies,
her gentle voice, her quiet smile. Every day she seemed to him more
attractive than before. And she attached herself to Ivan Petrovich
with the whole strength of her soul--as only Russian girls know how
to devote themselves--and gave herself to him. In a country house no
secret can be preserved long; in a short time almost every one knew
of the young master's fondness for Malania. At last the news reached
Peter Andreich himself. At another time it is probable that he would
have paid very little attention to so unimportant an affair; but he
had long nursed a grudge against his son, and he was delighted to have
an opportunity of disgracing the philosophical exquisite from St.
Petersburg. There ensued a storm, attended by noise and outcry.
Malania was locked up in the store-room.[A] Ivan Petrovich was
summoned into his father's presence. Anna Pavlovna also came running
to the scene of confusion, and tried to appease her husband; but he
would not listen to a word she said. Like a hawk, he pounced upon his
son charging him with immorality, atheism, and hypocrisy. He eagerly
availed himself of so good an opportunity of discharging on him all
his long-gathered spite against the Princess Kubensky, and overwhelmed
him with insulting expressions.

[Footnote A: A sort of closet under the stairs.]

At first Ivan Petrovich kept silence, and maintained his hold over
himself; but when his father thought fit to threaten him with a
disgraceful punishment, he could bear it no longer. "Ah!" he thought,
"the infidel Diderot is going to be brought forward again. Well, then,
I will put his teaching in action." And so with a quiet and even
voice, although with a secret shudd