and became even more wretched.  Such wretchedness Nekhludoff saw in a number of shoemakers that he saw working near the window of a basement; in the lean, pale, disheveled washerwomen ironing with bare hands before open windows from which soap-laden steam poured out; in two painters, aproned and bare-footed, who were covered with paint from temple to heel.  In their sunburnt, sinewy, weak hands, bared above the elbows, they carried a bucket of paint and incessantly cursed each other.  Their faces were wearied and angry.  The same expression of weariness and anger he saw in the dusty faces of the truck drivers; on the swollen and tattered men, women and children who stood begging on the street corners.  Similar faces were seen in the windows of the tea-houses which Nekhludoff passed.  Around the dirty tables, loaded with bottles and tea services, perspiring men with red, stupefied faces sat shouting and singing, and white-aproned servants flitted to and fro.

“Why have they all gathered here?” thought Nekhludoff, involuntarily inhaling, together with the dust, the odor of rancid oil spread by the fresh paint.

On one of the streets he suddenly heard his name called above the rattling of the trucks.  It was Shenbok, with curled and stiffened mustache and radiant face.  Nekhludoff had lost sight of him long ago, but heard that on leaving his regiment and joining the cavalry, notwithstanding his debts he managed to hold his own in rich society.

“I am glad I met you.  There is not a soul in the city.  How old you have grown, my boy!  I only recognized you by your walk.  Well, shall we have dinner together?  Where can we get a good meal here?”

“I hardly think I will have the time,” answered Nekhludoff, who wished to get rid of his friend without offending him.  “What brings you here?” he asked.

“Business, my boy.  Guardianship affairs.  I am a guardian, you know.  I have charge of Samanoff’s business—­the rich Samanoff, you know.  He is a spendthrift, and there are fifty-four thousand acres of land!” he said with particular pride, as if he had himself made all these acres.  “The affairs were fearfully neglected.  The land was rented to the peasants, who did not pay anything and were eighty thousand rubles in arrears.  In one year I changed everything, and realized seventy per cent. more for the estate.  Eh?” he asked, with pride.

Nekhludoff recalled a rumor that for the very reason that Shenbok squandered his own wealth and was inextricably in debt, he was appointed guardian over a rich old spendthrift, and was now evidently obtaining an income from the guardianship.

Nekhludoff refused to take dinner with Shenbok, or accompany him to the horse races, to which the latter invited him, and after an exchange of commonplaces the two parted.

“Is it possible that I was like him?” thought Nekhludoff.  “Not exactly, but I sought to be like him, and thought that I would thus pass my life.”