But, behold, the rumble of a carriage was heard: a small tarantass
drove into the court, and a few instants later a footman entered the
drawing-room and gave Darya Mihailovna a note on a silver salver. She
glanced through it, and turning to the footman asked:

'But where is the gentleman who brought this letter?'

'He is sitting in the carriage. Shall I ask him to come up?'

'Ask him to do so.'

The man went out.

'Fancy, how vexatious!' continued Darya Mihailovna, 'the baron has
received a summons to return at once to Petersburg. He has sent me his
essay by a certain Mr. Rudin, a friend of his. The baron wanted to
introduce him to me--he speaks very highly of him. But how vexatious
it is! I had hoped the baron would stay here for some time.'

'Dmitri Nikolaitch Rudin,' announced the servant





III


A man of about thirty-five entered, of a tall, somewhat stooping
figure, with crisp curly hair and swarthy complexion, an irregular but