[Footnote A:  The initial letter of the name of the Empress, worn as a kind of decoration by the best pupils in the Imperial Institutes.]

XIV.

The Spartan’s legs trembled when Mikhalevich led him into the Korobines’ not over-well furnished drawing-room, and introduced him to its occupants.  But he overcame his timidity, and soon disappeared.  In General Korobine that kindliness which is common to all Russians, was enhanced by the special affability which is peculiar to all persons whose fair fame has been a little soiled.  As for the General’s wife, she soon became as it were ignored by the whole party.  But Varvara Pavlona was so calmly, so composedly gracious, that no one could be, even for a moment, in her presence without feeling himself at his ease.  And at the same time from all her charming form, from her smiling eyes, from her faultlessly sloping shoulders, from the rose-tinged whiteness of her hands, from her elastic, but at the same time as it were, irresolute gait, from the very sound of her sweet and languorous voice—­there breathed, like a delicate perfume, a subtle and incomprehensible charm—­something which was at once tender and voluptuous and modest—­something which it was difficult to express in words, which stirred the imagination and disturbed the mind, but disturbed it with sensations which were not akin to timidity.

Lavretsky introduced the subject of the theatre and the preceding night’s performance; she immediately began to talk about Mochalof of her own accord, and did not confine herself to mere sighs and exclamations, but pronounced several criticisms on his acting, which were as remarkable for sound judgment as for womanly penetration.  Mikhalevich mentioned music; she sat down to the piano without affectation, and played with precision several of Chopin’s mazurkas, which were then only just coming into fashion.  Dinner time came.  Lavretsky would have gone away, but they made him stop, and the General treated him at table with excellent Lafitte, which the footman had been hurriedly sent out to buy at Depre’s.

It was late in the evening before Lavretsky returned home; and then he sat for a longtime without undressing, covering his eyes with his hand, and yielding to the torpor of enchantment.  It seemed to him that he had not till now understood what makes life worth having.  All his resolutions and intentions, all the now valueless ideas of other days, had disappeared in a moment.  His whole soul melted within him into one feeling, one desire; into the desire of happiness, of possession, of love, of the sweetness of a woman’s love.

From that day he began to visit the Korobines frequently.  After six months had passed, he proposed to Varvara Pavlovna, and his offer was accepted.  Long, long before, even if it was not the night before Lavretsky’s first visit, the General had asked Mikhalevich how many serfs[A] his friend had.  Even Varvara Pavlona, who had preserved her wonted composure and equanimity during the whole period of her young admirer’s courtship, and even at the very moment of his declaration—­even Varvara Pavlovna knew perfectly well that her betrothed was rich.  And Calliope Carlovna thought to herself, “Meine Tochter macht eine schoene Partie[B]”—­and bought herself a new cap.