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I had imagined that Lubov Sergievna, as my friend's friend, would at once say something friendly and familiar to me; yet, after gazing at me fixedly for a while, as though in doubt whether the remark she was about to make to me would not be too friendly, she at length asked me what faculty I was in.
Such practical love it was love for her nephew, for her niece, for her sister, for Lubov Sergievna, and even for myself, because I loved Dimitri that shone in the eyes, as well as in the every word and movement, of Sophia Ivanovna. Only long afterwards did I learn to value her at her true worth.
Yet even now the question occurred to me: "What has made Dimitri who throughout has tried to understand love differently to other young fellows, and has always had before his eyes the gentle, loving Sophia Ivanovna suddenly fall so deeply in love with the incomprehensible Lubov Sergievna, and declare that in his aunt he can only find good QUALITIES? Verily it is a true saying that 'a prophet hath no honour in his own country. One of two things: either every man has in him more of bad than of good, or every man is more receptive to bad than to good.
"What a man your father is," said Foma, nodding his head toward the direction of his godfather. "Well, what kind of a man do you think he is?" "He retorts every call, and wants to cover everything with his words." "Yes, he is clever. And yet he does not understand how painful my life is," said Lubov, sadly. "Neither do I understand it. You imagine too much."
The Princess too looked the same, and was clearly on Varenika's side, while Dimitri began, if anything, to raise his voice still more when I appeared, and Lubov Sergievna, for her part, observed to no one in particular: "Old people are quite right when they say, 'Si jeunesse savait, si vieillesse pouvait."
But a weary one, it must be admitted. It does not require much brains; there is no room in it for an extraordinary man; a man with great enterprising power cannot develop in it." Lubov entered and invited them all into the dining-room. When the Mayakins stepped out Foma imperceptibly tugged Lubov by the sleeve, and she remained with him alone, inquiring hastily: "What is it?"
From the first, the member of this company who struck me the most was Lubov Sergievna, who, holding a lapdog in her arms and wearing stout laced boots, was the last of the four ladies to ascend the staircase, and twice stopped to gaze at me intently and then kiss her little dog. She was anything but good-looking, since she was red-haired, thin, short, and slightly crooked.
But nature had its influence on her, and at the sight of young mothers with children in their arms Lubov often felt a sad and mournful languor within her. At times stopping before the mirror she sadly scrutinized in it her plump, fresh face with dark circles around her eyes, and she felt sorry for herself. She felt that life was going past her, forgetting her somewhere on the side.
The Princess went on gazing at the scene as though she had not heard me, and turning to her sister and Lubov Sergievna at intervals, in order to point out to them its details especially a curved, pendent bough, with its reflection in the water, which particularly pleased her.
I also tell you that your friendship for Lubov Sergievna is founded on the same basis, namely, that she thinks you a god." "And I tell you once more that it is not so." "Oh, I know it for myself," I retorted with the heat of suppressed anger, and designing to disarm him with my frankness.
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