Varvara Pavlovna carried out her plan of attack very skillfully.  Although never putting herself forward, but being to all appearance thoroughly immersed in the bliss of the honeymoon, in the quiet life of the country, in music, and in books, she little by little worked upon Glafira, until that lady, one morning, burst into Lavretsky’s study like a maniac, flung her bunch of keys on the table, and announced that she could no longer look after the affairs of the household, and that she did not wish to remain on the estate.  As Lavretsky had been fitly prepared for the scene, he immediately gave his consent to her departure.  This Glafira Petrovna had not expected.  “Good,” she said, and her brow grew dark.  “I see that I am not wanted here.  I know that I am expelled hence, driven away from the family nest.  But, nephew, remember my words—­nowhere will you be able to build you a nest; your lot will be to wander about without ceasing.  There is my parting legacy to you.”  That same day she went off to her own little property:  a week later General Korobine arrived, and, with a pleasantly subdued air, took the whole management of the estate into his own hands.

In September Varvara Pavlovna carried off her husband to St. Petersburg.  There the young couple spent two winters—­migrating in the summer to Tsarskoe Selo.  They lived in handsome, bright, admirably-furnished apartments; they made numerous acquaintances in the upper and even the highest circles of society; they went out a great deal and received frequently, giving very charming musical parties and dances.  Varvara Pavlovna attracted visitors as a light does moths.

Such a distracting life did not greatly please Fedor Ivanich.  His wife wanted him to enter the service; but, partly in deference to his father’s memory, partly in accordance with his own ideas, he would not do so, though he remained in St. Petersburg to please his wife.  However, he soon found out that no one objected to his isolating himself, that it was not without an object that his study had been made the quietest and the most comfortable in the whole city, that his attentive wife was ever ready to encourage him in isolating himself; and from that time all went well.  He again began to occupy himself with his as yet, as he thought, unfinished education.  He entered upon anew course of reading; he even began the study of English.  It was curious to see his powerful, broad-shouldered figure constantly bending over his writing-table, his full, ruddy, bearded face, half-hidden by the leaves of a dictionary or a copy-book.  His mornings were always spent over his work; later in the day he sat down to an excellent dinner—­for Varvara Pavlovna always managed her household affairs admirably; and in the evening he entered an enchanted, perfumed, brilliant world, all peopled by young and joyous beings, the central point of their world being that extremely attentive manager of the household, his wife.