ld tempt him to a really
dishonourable deed. As to small meannesses, such trifles did not trouble
her. Indeed, who is free from them? It is absurd to expect the ideal!
Besides, she knew that her marriage would provide a refuge for all her
family. Seeing Gania unhappy, she was anxious to help him, in spite of
their former disputes and misunderstandings. Ptitsin, in a friendly way,
would press his brother-in-law to enter the army. "You know," he said
sometimes, jokingly, "you despise generals and generaldom, but you will
see that 'they' will all end by being generals in their turn. You will
see it if you live long enough!"

"But why should they suppose that I despise generals?" Gania thought
sarcastically to himself.

To serve her brother's interests, Varvara Ardalionovna was constantly at
the Epanchins' house, helped by the fact that in childhood she and Gania
had played with General Ivan Fedorovitch's daughters. It would have been
inconsistent with her character if in these visits she had been pursuing
a chimera; her project was not chimerical at all; she was building on
a firm basis--on her knowledge of the character of the Epanchin family,
especially Aglaya, whom she studied closely. All Varvara's efforts
were directed towards bringing Aglaya and Gania together. Perhaps she
achieved some result; perhaps, also, she made the mistake of depending
too much upon her brother, and expecting more from him than he would
ever be capable of giving. However this may be, her manoeuvres were
skilful enough. For weeks at a time she would never mention Gania. Her
attitude was modest but dignified, and she was always extremely truthful
and sincere. Examining the depths of her conscience, she found nothing
to reproach herself with, and this still further strengthened her in
her designs. But Varvara Ardalionovna sometimes remarked that she felt
spiteful; that there was a good deal of vanity in her, perhaps even of
wounded vanity. She noticed this at certain times more than at others,
and especially after her visits to the Epanchins.

Today, as I have said, she returned from their house with a heavy
feeling of dejection. There was a sensation of bitterness, a sort of
mocking contempt, mingled with it.

Arrived at her own house, Varia heard a considerable commotion going
on in the upper storey, and distinguished the voices of her father and
brother. On entering the salon she found Gania pacing up and down at
frantic speed, pale with r