spring, and in the summer, by the advice of the doctors, Lavretsky took
his wife abroad to a watering-place. Distraction was essential for her
after such a trouble, and her health, too, required a warm climate. The
summer and autumn they spent in Germany and Switzerland, and for the
winter, as one would naturally expect, they went to Paris. In Paris,
Varvara Pavlovna bloomed like a rose, and was able to make herself a
little nest as quickly and cleverly as in Petersburg. She found very
pretty apartments in one of the quiet but fashionable streets in Paris;
she embroidered her husband such a dressing-gown as he had never worn
before; engaged a coquettish waiting maid, an excellent cook, and a
smart footman, procured a fascinating carriage, and an exquisite piano.
Before a week had passed, she crossed the street, wore her shawl, opened
her parasol, and put on her gloves in a manner equal to the most
true-born Parisian. And she soon drew round herself acquaintances. At
first, only Russians visited her, afterwards Frenchmen too, very
agreeable, polite, and unmarried, with excellent manners and
well-sounding names; they all talked a great deal and very fast, bowed
easily, grimaced agreeably; their white teeth flashed under their rosy
lips--and how they could smile! All! of them brought their friends, and
la belle Madame de Lavretsky was soon known from Chausee d'Antin to Rue
de Lille. In those days--it was in 1836--there had not yet arisen the
tribe of journalists and reporters who now swarm on all sides like ants
in an ant-hill; but even then there was seen in Varvara Pavlovna's salon
a certain M. Jules, a gentleman of unprepossessing exterior, with a
scandalous reputation, insolent and mean, like all duelists and men who
have been beaten. Varvara Pavlovna felt a great aversion to this M.
Jules, but she received him because he wrote for various journals, and
was incessantly mentioning her, calling her at one time Madame de
L-----tski, at another Madame de -----, cette grande dame russe si
distinguee, qui demeure rue de P----- and telling all the world, that