'Boys!' cried Bassistoff suddenly, 'do you see that willow at the
corner? let's see who can get to it first. One! two! three! and away!'

The boys set off at full speed to the willow. Bassistoff rushed after
them.

'What a lout!' thought Pandalevsky, 'he is spoiling those boys. A
perfect peasant!'

And looking with satisfaction at his own neat and elegant figure,
Konstantin Diomiditch struck his coat-sleeve twice with his open hand,
pulled up his collar, and went on his way. When he had reached his own
room, he put on an old dressing-gown and sat down with an anxious face
to the piano.




II


Darya Mihailovna's house was regarded as almost the first in the whole
province. It was a huge stone mansion, built after designs of
Rastrelli in the taste of last century, and in a commanding position
on the summit of a hill, at whose base flowed one of the principal
rivers of central Russia. Darya Mihailovna herself was a wealthy and
distinguished lady, the widow of a privy councillor. Pandalevsky said
of her, that she knew all Europe and all Europe knew her! However,
Europe knew her very little; even at Petersburg she had not played a
very prominent part; but on the other hand at Moscow every one knew