another," musingly said Maria Dmitrievna. "Where do you come from now?
Where have you left--that's to say, I meant"--she hurriedly corrected
herself--"I meant to say, shall you stay with us long?"

"I come just now from Berlin," replied Lavretsky, "and to-morrow I
shall go into the country--to stay there, in all probability, a long
time."

"I suppose you are going to live at Lavriki?"

"No, not at Lavriki; but I have a small property about five-and-twenty
versts from here, and I am going there."

"Is that the property which Glafira Petrovna left you?"

"Yes, that's it."

"But really, Fedor Ivanovich, you have such a charming house at
Lavriki."

Lavretsky frowned a little.

"Yes--but I have a cottage on the other estate too; I don't require
any more just now. That place is--most convenient for me at present."

Maria Dmitrievna became once more so embarrassed that she actually sat
upright in her chair, and let her hands drop by her side. Panshine
came to the rescue, and entered into conversation with Lavretsky.
Maria Dmitrievna by degrees grew calm, leant back again comfortably
in her chair, and from time to time contributed a word or two to the