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Woloda and Dubkoff seemed to be afraid of anything like serious consideration or emotion, whereas Nechludoff was beyond all things an enthusiast, and would often, despite their sarcastic remarks, plunge into dissertations on philosophical matters or matters of feeling.

We got into bed, and Foka, bidding us good-night, retired. "It was in this room that Mamma died, was it not?" said Woloda. I made no reply, but pretended to be asleep. If I had said anything I should have burst into tears. On awaking next morning, I beheld Papa sitting on Woloda's bed in his dressing gown and slippers and smoking a cigar.

His curiosity satisfied, Papa handed the box to the priest, who also seemed particularly delighted with it, and looked with astonishment, first at the article itself, and then at the artist who could make such wonderful things. Then Woloda presented his Turk, and received a similarly flattering ovation on all sides. It was my turn now, and Grandmamma turned to me with her kindest smile.

Woloda must have lost, for the gentleman who was watching the play remarked that Vladimir Petrovitch had terribly bad luck, while Dubkoff reached for a note book, wrote something in it, and then, showing Woloda what he had written, said: "Is that right?" "Yes." said Woloda, glancing with feigned carelessness at the note book. "Now let us go."

Such behaviour and speeches cooled our ardour for the game and were very disagreeable the more so since it was impossible not to confess to oneself that Woloda was right, I myself knew that it was not only impossible to kill birds with a stick, but to shoot at all with such a weapon.

Woloda danced a great deal, and Papa also went to balls with his young wife, but I appeared to be thought either too young or unfitted for such delights, and no one invited me to the houses where balls were being given. Nevertheless, a reception was to be given that winter at the Princess Kornakoff's, and to it she sent us personal invitations to myself among the rest!

"Ah, but Nechludoff will not go there," objected Woloda. "O unbearable, insupportable man of quiet habits that you are!" cried Dubkoff, turning to Dimitri. "Yet come with us, and you shall see what an excellent lady my dear Auntie is." "I will neither go myself nor let him go," replied Dimitri. "Let whom go? The DIPLOMAT? Why, you yourself saw how he brightened up at the very mention of Auntie."

"Well, what new sin have you gone and committed?" I asked. "Nothing," she replied with another blush. All at once we heard Dimitri's voice raised in the hall as he took his leave of Woloda. "It seems to me you are always experiencing some new temptation," said Katenka, who had entered the room behind us, and now stood looking at Lubotshka.

"Well, it is not a good thing," continued Woloda. "Why so?" "Why?" he repeated irritably. "Because it will be so pleasant, won't it, to have this stuttering 'colonel' and all his family for relations! Certainly she seems nice enough, as yet; but who knows what she will turn out to be later?

At length, one Sunday before luncheon all the tutors and among them two professors assembled in Grandmamma's room, and in the presence of Papa and some friends put Woloda through a rehearsal of his University examination in which, to Grandmamma's delight, he gave evidence of no ordinary amount of knowledge.