Nekhludoff meant to rearrange the whole of his external life, to
let his large house and move to an hotel, but Agraphena Petrovna
pointed out that it was useless to change anything before the
winter. No one would rent a town house for the summer; anyhow, he
would have to live and keep his things somewhere. And so all his
efforts to change his manner of life (he meant to live more
simply: as the students live) led to nothing. Not only did
everything remain as it was, but the house was suddenly filled
with new activity. All that was made of wool or fur was taken out
to be aired and beaten. The gate-keeper, the boy, the cook, and
Corney himself took part in this activity. All sorts of strange
furs, which no one ever used, and various uniforms were taken out
and hung on a line, then the carpets and furniture were brought
out, and the gate-keeper and the boy rolled their sleeves up
their muscular arms and stood beating these things, keeping
strict time, while the rooms were filled with the smell of
naphthaline.
When Nekhludoff crossed the yard or looked out of the window and
saw all this going on, he was surprised at the great number of
things there were, all quite useless. Their only use, Nekhludoff
thought, was the providing of exercise for Agraphena Petrovna,
Corney, the gate-keeper, the boy, and the cook.
"But it's not worth while altering my manner of life now," he
thought, "while Maslova's case is not decided. Besides, it is too
difficult. It will alter of itself when she will be set free or
exiled, and I follow her."
On the appointed day Nekhludoff drove up to the advocate
Fanarin's own splendid house, which was decorated with huge palms
and other plants, and wonderful curtains, in fact, with all the
expensive luxury witnessing to the possession of much idle money,
i.e., money acquired without labour, which only those possess who
grow rich suddenly. In the waiting-room, just as in a doctor's
waiting-room, he found many dejected-looking people sitting round
several tables, on which lay illustrated papers meant to amuse
them, awaiting their turns to be admitted to the advocate. The
advocate's assistant sat in the room at a high desk, and having
recognised Nekhludoff, he came up to him and said he would go and
announce him at once. But the assistant had not reached the door
before it opened and the sounds of loud, animated voices were
heard; the voice of a middle-aged, sturdy merchant, with a red
face and thick moustaches, and the voice of Fanarin himself.
Fanarin was also a middle-aged man of medium height, with a worn
look on his face. Both faces bore the expression which you see on
the faces of those who have just concluded a profitable but not
quite honest transaction.