eaving 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."

* * * * *

The lawyer received him immediately on his arrival, although it was
not his turn. The lawyer expressed himself strongly on the detention
of the Menshovs, declaring that there was not a particle of evidence
against them on record.

"If the case is tried here, and not in the district, I will stake
anything on their discharge. And the petition in behalf of Theodosia
Brinkova is ready. You had better take it with you to St. Petersburg
and present it there. Otherwise there will begin an inquiry which will
have no end. Try to reach some people who have influence with the
commission on petitions. Well, that's all, isn't it?"

"No. Here they write me----"

"You seem to be the funnel into which all the prison complaints are
poured. I fear you will not hold them all."

"But this case is simply shocking," said Nekhludoff, and related th