a language, in your opinion? an independent language? I would pound my
best friend in a mortar before I'd agree to that.'

Bassistoff was about to retort.

'Leave him alone!' said Darya Mihailovna, 'you know that you will hear
nothing but paradoxes from him.'

Pigasov smiled ironically. A footman came in and announced the arrival
of Alexandra Pavlovna and her brother.

Darya Mihailovna rose to meet her guests.

'How do you do, Alexandrine?' she began, going up to her, 'how good
of you to come! . . . How are you, Sergei Pavlitch?'

Volintsev shook hands with Darya Mihailovna and went up to Natalya
Alexyevna.

'But how about that baron, your new acquaintance, is he coming
to-day?' asked Pigasov.

'Yes, he is coming.'

'He is a great philosopher, they say; he is just brimming over with
Hegel, I suppose?'

Darya Mihailovna made no reply, and making Alexandra Pavlovna sit down
on the sofa, established herself near her.