Works of Ivan Turgenev (Illustrated) by Ivan Turgenev Read Free Book Online Page A

rejoinder, and only gave her a rather cross look.
    Seven o’clock struck, and they were all assembled again in the drawing - room.
    ‘He is not coming, clearly,’ said Darya Mihailovna.
    But, behold, the rumble of a carriage was heard: a small tarantass drove into the court, and a few instants later a footman entered the drawing - room and gave Darya Mihailovna a note on a silver salver. She glanced through it, and turning to the footman asked:
    ‘But where is the gentleman who brought this letter?’
    ‘He is sitting in the carriage. Shall I ask him to come up?’
    ‘Ask him to do so.’
    The man went out.
    ‘Fancy, how vexatious!’ continued Darya Mihailovna, ‘the baron has received a summons to return at once to Petersburg. He has sent me his essay by a certain Mr. Rudin, a friend of his. The baron wanted to introduce him to me — he speaks very highly of him. But how vexatious it is! I had hoped the baron would stay here for some time.’
    ‘Dmitri Nikolaitch Rudin,’ announced the servant

III
     
    A man of about thirty - five entered, of a tall, somewhat stooping figure, with crisp curly hair and swarthy complexion, an irregular but expressive and intelligent face, a liquid brilliance in his quick, dark blue eyes, a straight, broad nose, and well - curved lips. His clothes were not new, and were somewhat small, as though he had outgrown them.
    He walked quickly up to Darya Mihailovna, and with a slight bow told her that he had long wished to have the honour of an introduction to her, and that his friend the baron greatly regretted that he could not take leave of her in person.
    The thin sound of Rudin’s voice seemed out of keeping with his tall figure and broad chest.
    ‘Pray be seated... very delighted,’ murmured Darya Mihailovna, and, after introducing him to the rest of the company, she asked him whether he belonged to those parts or was a visitor.
    ‘My estate is in the T —   — province,’ replied Rudin, holding his hat on his knees. ‘I have not been here long. I came on business and stayed for a while in your district town.’
    ‘With whom?’
    ‘With the doctor. He was an old chum of mine at the university.’
    ‘Ah! the doctor. He is highly spoken of. He is skilful in his work, they say. But have you known the baron long?’
    ‘I met him last winter in Moscow, and I have just been spending about a week with him.’
    ‘He is a very clever man, the baron.’
    ‘Yes.’
    Darya Mihailovna sniffed at her little crushed - up handkerchief steeped in eau de cologne .
    ‘Are you in the government service?’ she asked.
    ‘Who? I?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘No. I have retired.’
    There followed a brief pause. The general conversation was resumed.
    ‘If you will allow me to be inquisitive,’ began Pigasov, turning to Rudin, ‘do you know the contents of the essay which his excellency the baron has sent?’
    ‘Yes, I do.’
    ‘This essay deals with the relations to commerce — or no, of manufactures to commerce in our country.... That was your expression, I think, Darya Mihailovna?’
    ‘Yes, it deals with’... began Darya Mihailovna, pressing her hand to her forehead.
    ‘I am, of course, a poor judge of such matters,’ continued Pigasov, ‘but I must confess that to me even the title of the essay seems excessively (how could I put it delicately?) excessively obscure and complicated.’
    ‘Why does it seem so to you?’
    Pigasov smiled and looked across at Darya Mihailovna.
    ‘Why, is it clear to you?’ he said, turning his foxy face again towards Rudin.
    ‘To me? Yes.’
    ‘H’m. No doubt you must know better.’
    ‘Does your head ache?’ Alexandra Pavlovna inquired of Darya Mihailovna.
    ‘No. It is only my — c’est nerveux .’
    ‘Allow me to inquire,’ Pigasov was beginning again in his nasal tones, ‘your friend, his excellency Baron Muffel — I think that’s his name?’
    ‘Precisely.’
    ‘Does his excellency Baron Muffel make a special study of political