e Rhine, observe. He began to go and see
her, to take her various books, to talk to her of Nature and Hegel.
Can you fancy the position of the dressmaker? She took him for an
astronomer. However, you know he's not a bad-looking fellow--and a
foreigner, a Russian, of course--he took her fancy. Well, at last he
invited her to a rendezvous, and a very poetical rendezvous, in a boat
on the river. The Frenchwoman agreed; dressed herself in her best and
went out with him in a boat. So they spent two hours. How do you think
he was occupied all that time? He patted the Frenchwoman on the head,
gazed thoughtfully at the sky, and frequently repeated that he felt
for her the tenderness of a father. The Frenchwoman went back home in a
fury, and she herself told the story to Terlahov afterwards! That's the
kind of fellow he is.'

And Pigasov broke into a loud laugh.

'You old cynic!' said Alexandra Pavlovna in a tone of annoyance, 'but I
am more and more convinced that even those who attack Rudin cannot find
any harm to say of him.'

'No harm? Upon my word! and his perpetual living at other people's
expense, his borrowing money.... Mihailo Mihailitch, he borrowed of you
too, no doubt, didn't he?'

'Listen, African Semenitch!' began Lezhnyov, and his face assumed a
serious expression, 'listen; you know, and my wife knows, that the last
time I saw him I felt no special attachment for Rudin, and I even often
blamed him. For all that (Lezhnyov filled up the glasses with champagne)
this is what I suggest to you now; we have just drunk to the health of
my dear brother and his future bride; I propose that you drink now to
the health of Dmitri Rudin!'

Alexandra Pavlovna and Pigasov looked in astonishment at Lezhnyov, but
Bassistoff sat wide-eyed, blushing and trembling all over with delight.

'I know him well,' continued Lezhnyov, 'I am well aware of his faults.
They are the more conspicuous because he himself is not on a small
scale.'

'Rudin has character, genius!' cried Bassistoff.

'Genius, very likely he has!' replied Lezhnyov, 'but as for character
... That's just his misfortune, that there's no character in him... But
that's not the point. I want to speak of what is good, of what is rare
in him. He has enthusiasm; and believe me, who am a phlegmatic person
enough, that is the most precious quality in our times. We have all
become insufferably reasonable, indifferent, and slothful; we are asleep
and cold, and thanks to any