d not joyful.

Nekhludoff tore himself loose, and, without bowing or saying
anything, gloomily passed through the reception-room, the parlor and
by the lackeys, who sprang to their feet in the ante-chamber, to the
street.

"What is the matter with him? What did you do to him?" Annette asked
her husband.

"That is a la francaise," said some one.

"Rather a la zoulon."

"Oh, he has always been queer."

Some one arose, some one arrived, and the chirping continued.

The following morning Nekhludoff received from Maslenikoff a letter on
heavy, glossy paper, bearing a coat-of-arms and seals, written in a
fine, firm hand, in which he said that he had written to the prison
physician asking that Maslova be transferred, and that he hoped his
request would be acceded to. It was signed, "Your loving senior
comrade," followed by a remarkably skillful flourish.

"Fool!" Nekhludoff could not help exclaiming, especially because he
felt that by the word "comrade" Maslenikoff was condescending, i. e.,
although he considered himself a very important personage, he
nevertheless was not too proud of his greatness, and called himself
his comrade.

CHAPTER LVII.

One of the most popular superstitions consists in the belief that
every man is endowed with definite qualities--that some men are kind,
some wicked; some wise, some foolish; some energetic, some apathetic,
etc. This is not true. We may say of a man that he is oftener kind
than wicked; oftener wise than foolish; oftener energetic than
apathetic, and vice versa. But it would not be true to say of one man
that he is always kind or wise, and of another that he is always
wicked or foolish. And yet we thus divide people. This is erroneous.
Men are like rivers--the water in all of them, and at every point, is
the same, but every one of them is now narrow, now swift, now wide,
now calm, now clear, now cold, now muddy, now warm. So it is with
men. Every man bears within him the germs of all human qualities,
sometimes manifesting one quality, sometimes another; and often does
not resemble himself at all, manifesting no change. With some people
these changes are particularly sharp. And to this class Nekhludoff
belonged. These changes in him had both physical and spiritual causes;
and one of these changes he was now undergoing.

That feeling of solemnity and joy of rejuvenation which he had
experienced after the trial and after his first meeting with Katiousha
had passed a