and he liked sleeping, but he also liked a good book, and an earnest
conversation, and he hated Pandalevsky from the depths of his soul.

Darya Mihailovna's children worshipped Bassistoff, and yet were not in
the least afraid of him; he was on a friendly footing with all the
rest of the household, a fact which was not altogether pleasing to its
mistress, though she was fond of declaring that for her social
prejudices did not exist.

'Good-morning, my dears,' began Konstantin Diomiditch, 'how early you
have come for your walk to-day! But I,' he added, turning to
Bassistoff, 'have been out a long while already; it's my passion--to
enjoy nature.'

'We saw how you were enjoying nature,' muttered Bassistoff.

'You are a materialist, God knows what you are imagining! I know you.'
When Pandalevsky spoke to Bassistoff or people like him, he grew
slightly irritated, and pronounced the letter _s_ quite clearly, even
with a slight hiss.

'Why, were you asking your way of that girl, am I to suppose?' said
Bassistoff, shifting his eyes to right and to left.

He felt that Pandalevsky was looking him straight in the face, and
this fact was exceedingly unpleasant to him. 'I repeat, a materialist
and nothing more.'

'You certainly prefer to see only the prosaic side in everything.'