gaze on the fashionable official. Just as instinctively as he had
felt Mariana to be a comrade, so he felt Kollomietzev to be an enemy!
Kollomietzev felt it too; he removed his monocle, turned away, and
tried to laugh carelessly--but it did not come off somehow. Only Anna
Zaharovna, who secretly worshipped him, was on his side, and became even
angrier than before with the unwelcome neighbour separating her from
Kolia.

Soon after this dinner came to an end. The company went out on the
terrace to drink coffee. Sipiagin and Kollomietzev lit up cigars.
Sipiagin offered Nejdanov a regalia, but the latter refused.

"Why, of course!" Sipiagin exclaimed; "I've forgotten that you only
smoke your own particular cigarettes!

"A curious taste!" Kollomietzev muttered between his teeth.

Nejdanov very nearly burst out, "I know the difference between a regalia
and a cigarette quite well, but I don't want to be under an obligation
to anyone!" but he contained himself and held his peace. He put down
this second piece of insolence to his enemy's account.

"Mariana!" Madame Sipiagin suddenly called, "don't be on ceremony with
our new friend... smoke your cigarette if you like. All the more so,
as I hear," she added, turning to Nejdanov, "that among you all young
ladies smoke."

"Yes," Nejdanov remarked dryly. This was the first remark he had made to
Madame Sipiagina.

"I don't smoke," she continued, screwing up her velvety eyes
caressingly. "I suppose I am behind the times."

Mariana slowly and carefully took out a cigarette, a box of matches,
and began to smoke, as if on purpose to spite her aunt. Nejdanov took a
light from Mariana and also began smoking.

It was a beautiful evening. Kolia and Anna Zaharovna went into the
garden; the others remained for some time longer on the terrace enjoying
the fresh air. The conversation was very lively. Kollomietzev condemned
modern literature, and on this subject, too, Sipiagin showed himself
a liberal. He insisted on the utter freedom and independence of
literature, pointed out its uses, instanced Chateaubriand, whom the
Emperor Alexander Pavlitch had invested with the order of St. Andrew!
Nejdanov did not take part in the discussion; Madame Sipiagina watched
him with an expression of approval and surprise at his modesty.

They all went in to drink tea in the drawing room.

"Alexai Dmitritch," Sipiagin said to Nejdanov, "we are addicted to the
bad habit of playing cards in the evenin