f their years; that later, during her long residence in the
capital, she had rendered inestimable services to the Judge; for which
reason the Judge greatly respected her, and in society liked, perhaps as a
mere whim, to call himself her brother, which Telimena, for friendship's
sake, did not forbid him. These confessions lightened the heart of
Thaddeus. They also informed each other of other things; and all this
happened in one short, brief moment.

But in the room to the right, tempting the Assessor, the Notary casually
remarked:--

"I said yesterday that our hunting party could not succeed; it is still
too early, the grain is still in the ear, and there are many strips of
unreaped spring corn, belonging to the peasants. For this reason the Count
did not come, despite our invitation. The Count has an excellent knowledge
of the chase; he has often discoursed of the proper time and places for
hunting. The Count from childhood up has dwelt in foreign parts, and he
says that it is a mark of barbarism to hunt, as we do, with no regard to
laws, ordinances, and government regulations; to ride over another man's
estate without the knowledge of the owner, without respecting any man's
landmarks or boundaries; to course the fields and woods in spring as well
as in summer; sometimes to kill a fox just when it is moulting, or to
allow the hounds to run down a pregnant hare in the winter corn, or rather
to torture it, with great damage to the game. Hence the Count admits with
regret that civilisation is on a higher plane among the Muscovites, for
there they have ukases of the Tsar on hunting, and police supervision, and
punishment for offenders."

"As I love my mother," said Telimena, turning to the left-hand room and
fanning her shoulders with a small batiste handkerchief; "the Count is not
mistaken; I know Russia well. You people would not believe me when I used
to tell you in how many respects the watchfulness and strictness of that
government are worthy of praise, I have been in St. Petersburg more than
once or twice! Tender memories I charming images of the past! What a city!
Have none of you been in St. Petersburg? Perhaps you would like to see a
map of it; I have a map of the city in my desk. In summer St. Petersburg
society usually lives in _dachas_, that is, in rural palaces (_dacha_
means cottage). I lived in a little palace, just above the river Neva, not
too near the city, and not too far from it, on a small artificial