Rudin

on, an irregular but expressive and intelligent face, a liquid brilliance in his quick, dark blue eyes, a straight,

e had long wished to have the honour of an introduction to her, and that his fr

e seemed out of keeping with h

na, and, after introducing him to the rest of the company, she

his hat on his knees. 'I have not been here long. I came

h wh

was an old chum of mi

of. He is skilful in his work, they s

cow, and I have just been spe

y clever man

es

er little crushed-up handkerc

government ser

o?

es

have re

pause. The general co

asov, turning to Rudin, 'do you know the contents o

, I

no, of manufactures to commerce in our country. . .

egan Darya Mihailovna, press

t I must confess that to me even the title of the essay seems excessive

it seem

d looked across a

he said, turning his foxy

me?

bt you must

Alexandra Pavlovna inqu

nly my - c'e

gain in his nasal tones, 'your friend, his exc

cise

onomy, or does he only devote to that interesting subject the hours of

d steadily

replied, growing rather red, 'but in his ess

. But I venture to ask - the work of your friend Baron Muffel is

ts and propositions f

. . all these, so-called general propositions, hypotheses, these systems - excuse me, I am a provincial, I speak the truth bluntl

y, but ought not one to give

tions, theories, conclusions. All that's based on so-called convictions; every one is tal

is fist in the air.

lows that there is no such thing

doesn'

your co

es

re none then? Here you have

smiled and looke

nute, but - - ' Pig

ing, 'Bravo, bravo, Pigasov's beaten!' and

h annoyance. 'It's not sufficient to say a witty word, with a show of superiori

ter is very simple. You do not believe in the value of g

n them, I don't be

. You are

for using such a lea

t!' interposed

ky said to himself at the sam

ou understand it; why not make use of it? You don't

rience, every one knows what facts are. I ju

that the sun goes round the earth, . . . but perhaps you

and all eyes were fastened on Rudin. 'He's

said Pigasov. 'Of course that's very

too little that's original. All that has been well known a very long tim

sked Pigasov, not

ered his opponent, then grew cross,

ot help, I own, feeling sincere regret

interpose

u so much in that word? Every system is founded on a k

knowing them, no

mple, discovered some at least of these fundamental laws? He was a genius, we grant you; but the grandeur of the discoveries of genius is that they become the heritage

ling tone. 'I am a practical man and all these metaphysical

hat your very desire to be exclusively a practica

er admirable notion of yours! Much use in it, this vaunted civil

lmness and perfect good-breeding of her new acquaintance. 'Cest un homme comme il faut,' she thought, looking wit

angry; therefore you are in the wrong." I meant to say that all those onslaughts upon systems - general propositions - are especially distressing, because together with these systems men repudiate knowledge in general, and all science and faith in it, and c

words!' mutt

y "that's all words!" we often wish ourselves to avoid the ne

Pigasov, wink

man has no steady principle in which he trusts, no ground on which he can take a firm stand, how can he form a ju

igasov abruptly, and with a bow he tu

, and smiled slight

'Never mind, Dmitri. . .! I beg your pardon,' she ad

olai

o make a show of not wishing to argue any more. He is conscious that he cannot a

ved his

ilovna's question. 'That is what surprises me. Have

a held out the Fren

but that he had often reflected on the question treated by him. A conversation began to spring up. Rudin seemed uncertain at first, and not disposed to speak out freely; his wo

ning with Darya Mihailovna. She was pluming herself on having discovered him, and already at this early date was dreaming of how she would introduce Rudin into the world. In her quickness to receive impressions there was much that was almost childish, in spite of her years. Alexandra Pavlovna, to tell the truth, understood little of all that Rudin said, but was full of wonder and delight; her brother too was admiring him. Pandalevsky was watching Darya Mihailovna and was filled

s he has!' Volints

they

y his hands are

made n

d judge of the strength of the impression he had produced. Darya Mihailovna suddenly felt inclined to tease Pigasov. She went up to him and said in an undertone, 'Why

im, with a gesture towards Pigasov - 'he is a terrible hater of

was a head and shoulders taller. Pigasov almost w

steady voice, 'I do not only attack women; I am

u such a poor opinion o

d him straigh

more that is base. I judge of others by myself. Possibly this too is erro

enerous soul has not experienced a yearning for self-humiliation? But one

orted Pigasov. 'As for my condition, there's not much amiss with it, so that even i

o prefer the gratification of your own prid

d, and you, I expect, understand, and every one underst

elf, let me warn you,' r

rugged his

n the philosophers don't know what it is. Kant says it is o

l says of it?' asked Rudin

erstand what truth means. According to my idea, it doesn't exist at all

e not ashamed to say so, you old sinner! No truth?

ld be much easier for you, in any case, to live without truth than without your cook, Stepan, who is such

ed Darya Mihailovna, 'especially wh

speaking it does not answer,' muttere

by which the earth can be moved from its foundations, but that at the same time he alone deserves the name of man who knows

bition, as the active effort after perfection, is the source of all that is great. . . . Yes! a m

a pencil?' Pigaso

once understand what

t a pencil for?'

n't write it down, one might forget it, I'm afraid! But you

h at and make fun of, African Semenitch!' sai

got up; her face expressed her confusion. Vo

the gentle courtesy of a travelli

not very well. Here is Konstantin Dio

. 'You should not say that, Natalya Alexyevna

ubert's "Erlkoni

arya Mihailovna. 'Sit down, Konstantin.

ran his hand through his hair, as though disposi

t sound his face was transfigured. His dark blue eyes moved slowly abou

er the garden; a drowsy scent breathed from the trees near. The stars shed a mild radiance. Th

, 'reminded me of my student days in

Germany then?' sai

eidelberg, and nearl

tudent? They say they wea

s jacket with braid on it, and I let my hair grow to my sh

your student life,' sa

oad, Rudin soon passed to general themes, the special value of education and science, universities, and university life generally. He sketched in a large and comprehensive picture in broad and

n his impatient improvising. He did not seek out his words; they came obediently and spontaneously to his lips, and each word seemed to flow straight from his soul, and was burning with all the fire of conviction. Rudin was the master of almost the greatest secret - the music of eloquence. He knew how in striking on

athy and attention, the presence of young women, the beauty of the night, carried along by the tide of his own emotions, he rose to the height of eloquence, of poetry. . . . The very sound of his voice, intense an

and said that this bird is like man in the world; it flew in from darkness and out again into darkness, and was not long in the warmth and light. . . . "King," replies the oldest of the warriors, "even in the dark the bird is not lost, but finds her

his eyes with a smile of

ing with her - all except Pigasov. Without waiting for the end of Rudin's long speech, he quietly

are more to

d to detain him or ev

her, several times fell to exclaiming and marvelling at the extraordinary cleverness of Rudin. Volintsev agreed with her, though he observed that he sometimes expressed himself somewhat obscurely - that is to

not sleep the whole night and did not undress - he was writing till morning a letter to a comrade of his in Moscow; and Natalya, too, though she undressed and lay down in her bed, had not an instant'