In
turn the eldest son becomes a virtuous 'Fater,' and the old story
begins again. In fifty or sixty years' time the grandson of the
original 'Fater' will have amassed a considerable sum; and that sum he
will hand over to, his son, and the latter to HIS son, and so on for
several generations; until at length there will issue a Baron
Rothschild, or a 'Hoppe and Company,' or the devil knows what! Is it
not a beautiful spectacle--the spectacle of a century or two of
inherited labour, patience, intellect, rectitude, character,
perseverance, and calculation, with a stork sitting on the roof above
it all? What is more; they think there can never be anything better
than this; wherefore, from their point of view they begin to judge the
rest of the world, and to censure all who are at fault--that is to say,
who are not exactly like themselves. Yes, there you have it in a
nutshell. For my own part, I would rather grow fat after the Russian
manner, or squander my whole substance at roulette. I have no wish to
be 'Hoppe and Company' at the end of five generations. I want the money
for MYSELF, for in no way do I look upon my personality as necessary
to, or meet to be given over to, capital. I may be wrong, but there you
have it. Those are MY views."

"How far you may be right in what you have said I do not know,"
remarked the General moodily; "but I DO know that you are becoming an
insufferable farceur whenever you are given the least chance."

As usual, he left his sentence unfinished. Indeed, whenever he embarked
upon anything that in the least exceeded the limits of daily
small-talk, he left unfinished what he was saying. The Frenchman had
listened to me contemptuously, with a slight protruding of his eyes;
but, he could not have understood very much of my harangue. As for
Polina, she had looked on with serene indifference. She seemed to have
heard neither my voice nor any other during the progress of the meal.

V

Yes, she had been extraordinarily meditative. Yet, on leaving the
table, she immediately ordered me to accompany her for a walk. We took
the children with us, and set out for the fountain in the Park.

I was in such an irritated frame of mind that in rude and abrupt
fashion I blurted out a question as to "why our Marquis de Griers had
ceased to accompany her for strolls, or to speak to her for days
together."

"Because he is a brute," she replied in rather a curious way. It was
the first time that I had he