me well managed on the whole, with the
exception, perhaps, of the factory, which is not quite right; some of
the peasants are unapproachable, and the hired servants have servile
faces--but we can talk about these things later on. My host and
hostess are courteous, liberal-minded people; the master is for
ever condescending, and bursts out from time to time in torrents of
eloquence, a most highly cultured person! His lady, a picturesque
beauty, who has all her wits about her, keeps such a close watch on
one, and is so soft! I should think she has not a bone in her body! I am
rather afraid of her, you know what sort of a ladies' man I make! There
are neighbours--but uninteresting ones; then there is an old lady in the
house who makes me feel uncomfortable.... Above all, I am interested
in a certain young lady, but whether she is a relative or simply a
companion here the Lord only knows! I have scarcely exchanged a couple
of words with her, but I feel that we are birds of a feather..."

Here followed a description of Mariana's personal appearance and of all
her habits; then he continued:

"That she is unhappy, proud, ambitious, reserved, but above all unhappy,
I have not the smallest doubt. But why she is unhappy, I have as yet
failed to discover. That she has an upright nature is quite evident, but
whether she is good-natured or not remains to be seen. Are there really
any good-natured women other than stupid ones? Is goodness essential?
However, I know little about women. The lady of the house does not like
her, and I believe it is mutual on either side.... But which of them is
in the right is difficult to say. I think that the mistress is probably
in the wrong... because she is so awfully polite to her; the other's
brows twitch nervously when she is speaking to her patroness. She is a
most highly-strong individual, like myself, and is just as easily upset
as I am, although perhaps not in the same way.

"When all this can be disentangled, I will write to you again.

"She hardly ever speaks to me, as I have already told you, but in the
few words she has addressed to me (always rather sudden and unexpected)
there was a ring of rough sincerity which I liked. By the way, how long
is that relative of yours going to bore you to death? When is he going
to die?

"Have you read the article in the 'European Messenger' about the latest
impostors in the province of Orenburg? It happened in 1834, my dear! I
don't like the journa