The young Spartan’s legs shook under him when Mihalevitch conducted him
into the rather shabbily furnished drawing-room of the Korobyins, and
presented him to them. But his overwhelming feeling of timidity soon
disappeared. In the general the good-nature innate in all Russians was
intensified by that special kind of geniality which is peculiar to all
people who have done something disgraceful; the general’s lady was as
it were overlooked by every one; and as for Varvara Pavlovna, she was so
self-possessed and easily cordial that every one at once felt at home
in her presence; besides, about all her fascinating person, her smiling
eyes, her faultlessly sloping shoulders and rosy-tinged white hands, her
light and yet languid movements, the very sound of her voice, slow and
sweet, there was an impalpable, subtle charm, like a faint perfume,
voluptuous, tender, soft, though still modest, something which is hard
to translate into words, but which moved and kindled--and timidity
was not the feeing it kindled. Lavretsky turned the conversation on
the theater, on the performance of the previous day; she at once began
herself to discuss Motchalov, and did not confine herself to sighs and
interjections only, but uttered a few true observations full of feminine
insight in regard to his acting. Mihalevitch spoke about music; she sat
down without ceremony to the piano, and very correctly played some of
Chopin’s mazurkas, which were then just coming into fashion. Dinner-time
came; Lavretsky would have gone away, but they made him stay: at dinner
the general regaled him with excellent Lafitte, which the general’s
lackey hurried off in a street-sledge to Dupre’s to fetch. Late in
the evening Lavretsky returned home; for a long while he sat without
undressing, covering his eyes with his hands in the stupefaction of
enchantment. It seemed to him that now for the first time he understood
what made life worth living; all his previous assumptions, all his
plans, all that rubbish and nonsense had vanished into nothing at once;
all his soul was absorbed in one feeling, in one desire--in the desire
of happiness, of possession, of love, the sweet love of a woman. From
that day he began to go often to the Korobyins. Six months later he
spoke to Varvara Pavlovna, and offered her his hand. His offer was
accepted; the general had long before, almost on the eve of Lavretsky’s
first visit, inquired of Mihalevitch how many serfs Lavretsky owned; and
indeed Varvara Pavlovna, who through the whole time of the young man’s
courtship, and even at the very moment of his declaration, had preserved
her customary composure and clearness of mind--Varvara Pavlovna too was
very well aware that her suitor was a wealthy man; and Kalliopa Karlovna
thought “meine Tochter macht eine schöne Partie,” and bought herself a
new cap.