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351
What
better
could
Totski
wish
?
352
So
the
matter
crept
slowly
forward
.
The
general
and
Totski
had
agreed
to
avoid
any
hasty
and
irrevocable
step
.
Alexandra
's
parents
had
not
even
begun
to
talk
to
their
daughters
freely
upon
the
subject
,
when
suddenly
,
as
it
were
,
a
dissonant
chord
was
struck
amid
the
harmony
of
the
proceedings
.
Mrs.
Epanchin
began
to
show
signs
of
discontent
,
and
that
was
a
serious
matter
.
A
certain
circumstance
had
crept
in
,
a
disagreeable
and
troublesome
factor
,
which
threatened
to
overturn
the
whole
business
.
353
This
circumstance
had
come
into
existence
eighteen
years
before
.
Close
to
an
estate
of
Totski
's
,
in
one
of
the
central
provinces
of
Russia
,
there
lived
,
at
that
time
,
a
poor
gentleman
whose
estate
was
of
the
wretchedest
description
.
This
gentleman
was
noted
in
the
district
for
his
persistent
ill-fortune
;
his
name
was
Barashkoff
,
and
,
as
regards
family
and
descent
,
he
was
vastly
superior
to
Totski
,
but
his
estate
was
mortgaged
to
the
last
acre
.
One
day
,
when
he
had
ridden
over
to
the
town
to
see
a
creditor
,
the
chief
peasant
of
his
village
followed
him
shortly
after
,
with
the
news
that
his
house
had
been
burnt
down
,
and
that
his
wife
had
perished
with
it
,
but
his
children
were
safe
.
Отключить рекламу
354
Even
Barashkoff
,
inured
to
the
storms
of
evil
fortune
as
he
was
,
could
not
stand
this
last
stroke
.
He
went
mad
and
died
shortly
after
in
the
town
hospital
.
355
His
estate
was
sold
for
the
creditors
;
and
the
little
girls
--
two
of
them
,
of
seven
and
eight
years
of
age
respectively
,
--
were
adopted
by
Totski
,
who
undertook
their
maintenance
and
education
in
the
kindness
of
his
heart
.
They
were
brought
up
together
with
the
children
of
his
German
bailiff
.
Very
soon
,
however
,
there
was
only
one
of
them
left
--
Nastasia
Philipovna
--
for
the
other
little
one
died
of
whooping-cough
.
Totski
,
who
was
living
abroad
at
this
time
,
very
soon
forgot
all
about
the
child
;
but
five
years
after
,
returning
to
Russia
,
it
struck
him
that
he
would
like
to
look
over
his
estate
and
see
how
matters
were
going
there
,
and
,
arrived
at
his
bailiff
's
house
,
he
was
not
long
in
discovering
that
among
the
children
of
the
latter
there
now
dwelt
a
most
lovely
little
girl
of
twelve
,
sweet
and
intelligent
,
and
bright
,
and
promising
to
develop
beauty
of
most
unusual
quality
--
as
to
which
last
Totski
was
an
undoubted
authority
.
356
He
only
stayed
at
his
country
seat
a
few
days
on
this
occasion
,
but
he
had
time
to
make
his
arrangements
.
Great
changes
took
place
in
the
child
's
education
;
a
good
governess
was
engaged
,
a
Swiss
lady
of
experience
and
culture
.
For
four
years
this
lady
resided
in
the
house
with
little
Nastia
,
and
then
the
education
was
considered
complete
.
The
governess
took
her
departure
,
and
another
lady
came
down
to
fetch
Nastia
,
by
Totski
's
instructions
.
The
child
was
now
transported
to
another
of
Totski
's
estates
in
a
distant
part
of
the
country
.
357
Here
she
found
a
delightful
little
house
,
just
built
,
and
prepared
for
her
reception
with
great
care
and
taste
;
and
here
she
took
up
her
abode
together
with
the
lady
who
had
accompanied
her
from
her
old
home
.
In
the
house
there
were
two
experienced
maids
,
musical
instruments
of
all
sorts
,
a
charming
"
young
lady
's
library
,
"
pictures
,
paint-boxes
,
a
lap-dog
,
and
everything
to
make
life
agreeable
.
Within
a
fortnight
Totski
himself
arrived
,
and
from
that
time
he
appeared
to
have
taken
a
great
fancy
to
this
part
of
the
world
and
came
down
each
summer
,
staying
two
and
three
months
at
a
time
.
So
passed
four
years
peacefully
and
happily
,
in
charming
surroundings
.
Отключить рекламу
358
At
the
end
of
that
time
,
and
about
four
months
after
Totski
's
last
visit
(
he
had
stayed
but
a
fortnight
on
this
occasion
)
,
a
report
reached
Nastasia
Philipovna
that
he
was
about
to
be
married
in
St.
Petersburg
,
to
a
rich
,
eminent
,
and
lovely
woman
.
The
report
was
only
partially
true
,
the
marriage
project
being
only
in
an
embryo
condition
;
but
a
great
change
now
came
over
Nastasia
Philipovna
.
She
suddenly
displayed
unusual
decision
of
character
;
and
without
wasting
time
in
thought
,
she
left
her
country
home
and
came
up
to
St.
Petersburg
,
straight
to
Totski
's
house
,
all
alone
.
359
The
latter
,
amazed
at
her
conduct
,
began
to
express
his
displeasure
;
but
he
very
soon
became
aware
that
he
must
change
his
voice
,
style
,
and
everything
else
,
with
this
young
lady
;
the
good
old
times
were
gone
.
An
entirely
new
and
different
woman
sat
before
him
,
between
whom
and
the
girl
he
had
left
in
the
country
last
July
there
seemed
nothing
in
common
.
360
In
the
first
place
,
this
new
woman
understood
a
good
deal
more
than
was
usual
for
young
people
of
her
age
;
so
much
indeed
,
that
Totski
could
not
help
wondering
where
she
had
picked
up
her
knowledge
.
Surely
not
from
her
"
young
lady
's
library
"
?
It
even
embraced
legal
matters
,
and
the
"
world
"
in
general
,
to
a
considerable
extent
.