“How is one to say it?” Korolyov wondered.  “And is it necessary to speak?”

And he said what he meant in a roundabout way: 

“You in the position of a factory owner and a wealthy heiress are dissatisfied; you don’t believe in your right to it; and here now you can’t sleep.  That, of course, is better than if you were satisfied, slept soundly, and thought everything was satisfactory.  Your sleeplessness does you credit; in any case, it is a good sign.  In reality, such a conversation as this between us now would have been unthinkable for our parents.  At night they did not talk, but slept sound; we, our generation, sleep badly, are restless, but talk a great deal, and are always trying to settle whether we are right or not.  For our children or grandchildren that question—­ whether they are right or not—­will have been settled.  Things will be clearer for them than for us.  Life will be good in fifty years’ time; it’s only a pity we shall not last out till then.  It would be interesting to have a peep at it.”

“What will our children and grandchildren do?” asked Liza.

“I don’t know. . . .  I suppose they will throw it all up and go away.”

“Go where?”

“Where? . . .  Why, where they like,” said Korolyov; and he laughed.  “There are lots of places a good, intelligent person can go to.”

He glanced at his watch.

“The sun has risen, though,” he said.  “It is time you were asleep.  Undress and sleep soundly.  Very glad to have made your acquaintance,” he went on, pressing her hand.  “You are a good, interesting woman.  Good-night!”

He went to his room and went to bed.

In the morning when the carriage was brought round they all came out on to the steps to see him off.  Liza, pale and exhausted, was in a white dress as though for a holiday, with a flower in her hair; she looked at him, as yesterday, sorrowfully and intelligently, smiled and talked, and all with an expression as though she wanted to tell him something special, important—­him alone.  They could hear the larks trilling and the church bells pealing.  The windows in the factory buildings were sparkling gaily, and, driving across the yard and afterwards along the road to the station, Korolyov thought neither of the workpeople nor of lake dwellings, nor of the devil, but thought of the time, perhaps close at hand, when life would be as bright and joyous as that still Sunday morning; and he thought how pleasant it was on such a morning in the spring to drive with three horses in a good carriage, and to bask in the sunshine.

AN UPHEAVAL

Mashenka PAVLETSKY, a young girl who had only just finished her studies at a boarding school, returning from a walk to the house of the Kushkins, with whom she was living as a governess, found the household in a terrible turmoil.  Mihailo, the porter who opened the door to her, was excited and red as a crab.