for his part, having finished his cure, began to want his wife;
besides, Augustina Christianovna had gone away on a visit to her
cousin in Revel; a family of foreigners, known as 'living statues,'
_des poses plastiques_, had come to Moscow, and the description of them
in the _Moscow Gazette_ had aroused Anna Vassilyevna's liveliest
curiosity. In short, to stay longer at the villa seemed inconvenient,
and even, in Nikolai Artemyevitch's words, incompatible with the
fulfilment of his 'cherished projects.' The last fortnight seemed very
long to Elena. Kurnatovsky came over twice on Sundays; on other days
he was busy. He came really to see Elena, but talked more to Zoya, who
was much pleased with him. '_Das ist ein Mann_!' she thought to
herself, as she looked at his full manly face and listened to his
self-confident, condescending talk. To her mind, no one had such a
wonderful voice, no one could pronounce so nicely, 'I had the
hon-our,' or, 'I am most de-lighted.' Insarov did not come to the
Stahovs, but Elena saw him once in secret in a little copse by the
Moskva river, where she arranged to meet him. They hardly had time to
say more than a few words to each other. Shubin returned to Moscow
with Anna Vassilyevna; Bersenyev, a few days later.

Insarov was sitting in his room, and for the third time looking
through the letters brought him from Bulgaria by hand; they were
afraid to send them by post. He was much disturbed by them. Events
were developing rapidly in the East; the occupation of the
Principalities by Russian troops had thrown all men's minds into a
ferment; the storm was growing--already could be felt the breath of
approaching inevitable war. The fire was kindling all round, and no
one could foresee how far it would go--where it would stop. Old
wrongs, long cherished hopes--all were astir again. Insarov's heart
throbbed eagerly; his hopes too were being realised. 'But is it not