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with highly…polished brass rods。 Nowhere were there any flowers
or mirrors to be seen。 The salon； too； with its polished floor；
which I traversed on my way to the drawing…room； was decorated in
the same cold； severe； unostentatious style。 Everything in it
looked bright and solid； but not new； and pictures； flower…
stands； and articles of bric…a…brac were wholly absent。 In the
drawing…room I found some of the young princesses seated； but
seated with the sort of correct； 〃company〃 air about them which
gave one the impression that they sat like that only when guests
were expected。
〃Mamma will be here presently；〃 the eldest of them said to me as
she seated herself by my side。 For the next quarter of an hour；
this young lady entertained me with such an easy flow of small…
talk that the conversation never flagged a moment。 Yet somehow
she made so patent the fact that she was just entertaining me
that I felt not altogether pleased。 Amongst other things； she
told me that their brother Stephen （whom they called Etienne； and
who had been two years at the College of Cadets） had now received
his commission。 Whenever she spoke of him； and more particularly
when she told me that he had flouted his mother's wishes by
entering the Hussars； she assumed a nervous air； and immediately
her sisters； sitting there in silence； also assumed a nervous
air。 When； again； she spoke of my grandmother's death； she
assumed a MOURNFUL air； and immediately the others all did the
same。 Finally； when she recalled how I had once struck St。 Jerome
and been expelled from the room； she laughed and showed her bad
teeth； and immediately all the other princesses laughed and
showed their bad teeth too。
Next； the Princess…Mother herself entereda little dried…up
woman； with a wandering glance and a habit of always looking at
somebody else when she was addressing one。 Taking my hand； she
raised her own to my lips for me to kiss itwhich otherwise； not
supposing it to be necessary； I should not have done。
〃How pleased I am to see you！〃 she said with her usual clearness
of articulation as she gazed at her daughters。 〃And how like your
mother you look！ Does he not； Lise？〃
Lise assented； though I knew for a fact that I did not resemble
my mother in the least。
〃And what a grown…up you have become！ My Etienne； you will
remember； is your second cousin。 No； not second cousinwhat is
it； Lise？ My mother was Barbara Dimitrievna； daughter of Dimitri
Nicolaevitch； and your grandmother was Natalia Nicolaevna。〃
〃Then he is our THIRD cousin； Mamma；〃 said the eldest girl。
〃Oh； how you always confuse me！〃 was her mother's angry reply。
〃Not third cousin； but COUSIN GERMANthat is your relationship
to Etienne。 He is an officer now。 Did you know it？ It is not well
that he should have his own way too much。 You young men need
keeping in hand； or！ Well； you are not vexed because your old
aunt tells you the plain truth？ I always kept Etienne strictly in
hand； for I found it necessary to do so。〃
〃Yes； that is how our relationship stands；〃 she went on。 〃Prince
Ivan Ivanovitch is my uncle； and your late mother's uncle also。
Consequently I must have been your mother's first cousinno；
second cousin。 Yes； that is it。 Tell me； have you been to call on
Prince Ivan yet？〃
I said no； but that I was just going to。
〃Ah； is it possible？〃 she cried。 〃Why； you ought to have paid him
the first call of all！ Surely you know that he stands to you in
the position of a father？ He has no children of his own； and his
only heirs are yourself and my children。 You ought to pay him all
possible deference； both because of his age； and because of his
position in the world； and because of everything else。 I know
that you young fellows of the present day think nothing of
relationships and are not fond of old men； yet do you listen to
me； your old aunt； for I am fond of you； and was fond of your
mother； and had a greata very great…liking and respect for your
grandmother。 You must not fail to call upon him on any account。〃
I said that I would certainly go； and since my present call
seemed to me to have lasted long enough； I rose； and was about to
depart； but she restrained me。
〃No； wait a minute；〃 she cried。 〃Where is your father； Lise？ Go
and tell him to come here。 He will be so glad to see you；〃 she
added； turning to me。
Two minutes later Prince Michael entered。 He was a short； thick…
set gentleman； very slovenly dressed and ill…shaven； yet wearing
such an air of indifference that he looked almost a fool。 He was
not in the least glad to see meat all events he did not intimate
that he was； but the Princess （who appeared to stand in
considerable awe of him） hastened to say：
〃Is not Woldemar here〃 （she seemed to have forgotten my name）
〃exactly like his mother？〃 and she gave her husband a glance
which forced him to guess what she wanted。 Accordingly he
approached me with his usual passionless； half…discontented
expression； and held out to me an unshaven cheek to kiss。
〃Why； you are not dressed yet； though you have to go out soon！〃
was the Princess's next remark to him in the angry tone which she
habitually employed in conversation with her domestics。 〃It will
only mean your offending some one again； and trying to set people
against you。〃
〃In a moment； in a moment； mother；〃 said Prince Michael； and
departed。 I also made my bows and departed。
This was the first time I had heard of our being related to
Prince Ivan Ivanovitch； and the news struck me unpleasantly。
XX
THE IWINS
As for the prospect of my call upon the Prince； it seemed even
more unpleasant。 However； the order of my route took me first to
the Iwins； who lived in a large and splendid mansion in Tverskaia
Street。 It was not without some nervousness that I entered the
great portico where a Swiss major…domo stood armed with his staff
of office。
To my inquiry as to whether any one was at home he replied： 〃Whom
do you wish to see； sir？ The General's son is within。〃
〃And the General himself？〃 I asked with forced assurance。
〃I must report to him your business first。 What may it be； sir？〃
said the major…domo as he rang a bell。 Immediately the gaitered
legs of a footman showed themselves on the staircase above；
whereupon I was seized with such a fit of nervousness that I
hastily bid the lacquey say nothing about my presence to the
General； since I would first see his son。 By the time I had
reached the top of the long staircase； I seemed to have grown
extremely small （metaphorically； I mean； not actually）； and had
very much the same feeling within me as had possessed my soul
when my drozhki drew up to the great portico； namely； a feeling
as though drozhki； horse； and coachman had all of them grown
extremely small too。 I found the General's son lying asleep on a
sofa； with an open book before him。 His tutor； Monsieur Frost；
under whose care he still pursued his studies at home； had
entered behind me with a sort of boyish tread； and now awoke his
pupil。 Iwin evinced no particular pleasure at seeing me； while I
also seemed to notice that； while talking to me； he kept looking
at my eyebrows。 Although he was perfectly polite； I conceived
that he was 〃entertaining〃 me much as the Princess Valakhin had
done； and that he not only felt no particular liking for me； but
even that he considered my acquaintance in no way necessary to
one who possessed his own circle of friends。 All this arose out
of the idea that he was regarding my eyebrows。 In short； his
bearing towards me appeared to be （as I recognised with an
awkward sensation） very much the same as my own towards Ilinka
Grap。 I began to feel irritated； and to interpret every fleeting
glance which he cast at Monsieur Frost as a mute inquiry： 〃Why
has this fellow come to see me？〃
After some conversation he remarked that his father and mother
were at home。 Would I not like to visit them too？
〃First I will go and dress myself；〃 he added as he departed to
another room； notwithstanding that he had seemed to be perfectly
well dressed （in a new frockcoat and white waistcoat） in the
present one。 A few minutes later he reappeared in his University
uniform； buttoned up to the chin； and we went downstairs
together。 The reception rooms through which we passed were lofty
and of great size； and seemed to be richly furnished with marble
and gilt ornaments； chintz…covered settees； and a number of
mirrors。 Presently Madame Iwin met us； and we went into a little
room behind the drawing…room； where； welcoming me in very
friendly fashion； she seated herself by my side； and began to
inquire after my relations。
Closer acquaintance with Madame （whom I had seen only twice
before； and that but for a moment on each occasion） impressed me
favourably。 She was tall； thin； and very pale； and looked as
though she suffered from chronic depress