m. If you wait a little, you will
be rewarded by seeing him. What time is it?

"Half-past two," Kollomietzev replied, taking a large gold enamelled
watch out of his waistcoat pocket and showing it to Valentina
Mihailovna. "Have you seen this watch? A present from Michael, the
Servian Prince Obrenovitch. Look, here are his initials. We are great
friends--go out hunting a lot together. Such a splendid fellow, with an
iron hand, just what an administrator ought to be. He will never allow
himself to be made a fool of. Not he! Oh dear no!"

Kollomietzev dropped into an armchair, crossed his legs, and began
leisurely pulling off his left glove.

"We are badly in need of such a man as Michael in our province here," he
remarked.

"Why? Are you dissatisfied with things here?"

Kollomietzev made a wry face.

"It's this abominable county council! What earthly use is it? Only
weakens the government and sets people thinking the wrong way." (He
gesticulated with his left hand, freed from the pressure of the glove.)
"And arouses false hopes." (Kollomietzev blew on his hand.) "I have
already mentioned this in St. Petersburg, mais bah! They won't listen to
me. Even your husband--but then he is known to be a confirmed liberal!"

Valentina Mihailovna sat up straight.

"What do I hear? You opposed to the government, Monsieur Kollomietzev?

"I--not in the least! Never! What an idea! Mais j'ai mon franc parler. I
occasionally allow myself to criticise, but am always obedient."

"And I, on the contrary, never criticise and am never obedient."

"Ah! Mais c'est un mot! Do let me repeat it to my friend Ladislas. Vous
savez, he is writing a society novel, read me some of it. Charming! Nous
aurons enfin le grand monde russe peint par lui-meme."

"Where is it to be published?

"In the 'Russian Messenger', of course. It is our 'Revue des Deux
Mondes'. I see you take it, by the way."

"Yes, but I think it rather dull of late."

"Perhaps, perhaps it is. 'The Russian Messenger', too, has also gone off
a bit," using a colloquial expression.

Kollomietzev laughed. It amused him to have said "gone off a bit." "Mais
c'est un journal qui se respecte," he continued, "and that is the main
thing. I am sorry to say that I interest myself very little in Russian
literature nowadays. It has grown so horribly vulgar. A cook is now
made the heroine of a novel. A mere cook, parole d'honneur! Of course,
I shall read Ladislas' novel. Il y aura le pet