anshin returned; the rooms were very full of
people and noise. Such a crowd was not to Lavretsky's taste; and he was
particularly irritated by Madame Byelenitsin, who kept staring at him
through her eye-glasses. He would have gone away at once but for Lisa;
he wanted to say a few words to her alone, but for a long time he
could not get a favourable opportunity, and had to content himself with
following her in secret delight with his eyes; never had her face seemed
sweeter and more noble to him. She gained much from being near Madame
Byelenitsin. The latter was for ever fidgeting in her chair, shrugging
her narrow shoulders, giving little girlish giggles, and screwing up her
eyes and then opening them wide; Lisa sat quietly, looked directly at
every one and did not laugh at all. Madame Kalitin sat down to a game
of cards with Marfa Timofyevna, Madame Byelenitsin, and Gedeonovsky, who
played very slowly, and constantly made mistakes, frowning and wiping
his face with his handkerchief. Panshin assumed a melancholy air, and
expressed himself in brief, pregnant, and gloomy phrases, played
the part, in fact, of the unappreciated genius, but in spite of the
entreaties of Madame Byelenitsin, who was very coquettish with him,
he would not consent to sing his son; he felt Lavretsky's presence a
constraint. Fedor Ivanitch also spoke little the peculiar expression of
his face struck Lisa directly he came into the room; she felt at once
that he had something to tell her, and though she could not herself have
said why, she was afraid to question him. At last, as she was going into
the next room to pour out tea, she involuntarily turned her head in his
direction. He at once went after her.

"What is the matter?" she said, setting the teapot on the samovar.

"Why, have you noticed anything?" he asked.

"You are not the same to-day as I have always seen you before."

Lavretsky bent over the table.

"I wanted," he began, "to tell you a piece of news, but now it is
impossible. However, you can read what is marked with pencil in that
article," he added, handing her the paper he had brought with him. "Let
me ask you to keep it a secret; I will come to-morrow morning."

Lisa was greatly bewildered. Panshin appeared in the doorway. She put
the newspaper in her pocket.

"Have you read Obermann, Lisaveta Mihalovna?" Panshin asked her
pensively.

Lisa made him a reply in passing, and went out of the room and
up-stairs. Lavretsky went ba