"And you can give up this," she said, indicating the exercise book.
My sister and she went up to Madame Azhogin and for two minutes
they were whispering with her looking towards me; they were consulting
about something.
"Yes, indeed," said Madame Azhogin, softly coming up to me and
looking intently into my face. "Yes, indeed, if this distracts you
from serious pursuits"--she took the manuscript book from my hands
--"you can hand it over to someone else; don't distress yourself,
my friend, go home, and good luck to you."
I said good-bye to her, and went away overcome with confusion. As
I went down the stairs I saw my sister and Anyuta Blagovo going
away; they were hastening along, talking eagerly about something,
probably about my going into the railway service. My sister had
never been at a rehearsal before, and now she was most likely
conscience-stricken, and afraid her father might find out that,
without his permission, she had been to the Azhogins'!
I went to Dolzhikov's next day between twelve and one. The footman
conducted me into a very beautiful room, which was the engineer's
drawing-room, and, at the same time, his working study. Everything
here was soft and elegant, and, for a man so unaccustomed to luxury
as I was, it seemed strange. There were costly rugs, huge arm-chairs,
bronzes, pictures, gold and plush frames; among the photographs
scattered about the walls there were very beautiful women, clever,
lovely faces, easy attitudes; from the drawing-room there was a
door leading straight into the garden on to a verandah: one could
see lilac-trees; one could see a table laid for lunch, a number of
bottles, a bouquet of roses; there was a fragrance of spring and
expensive cigars, a fragrance of happiness--and everything seemed
as though it would say: "Here is a man who has lived and laboured,
and has attained at last the happiness possible on earth." The
engineer's daughter was sitting at the writing-table, reading a
newspaper.
"You have come to see my father?" she asked. "He is having a shower
bath; he will be here directly. Please sit down and wait."