"Well, have you succeeded in undermining the basis of society?"
asked Kolosoff, ironically quoting an expression used by a
retrograde newspaper in attacking trial by jury. "Acquitted the
culprits and condemned the innocent, have you?"
"Undermining the basis--undermining the basis," repeated Prince
Korchagin, laughing. He had a firm faith in the wisdom and
learning of his chosen friend and companion.
At the risk of seeming rude, Nekhludoff left Kolosoff's question
unanswered, and sitting down to his steaming soup, went on
eating.
"Do let him eat," said Missy, with a smile. The pronoun him she
used as a reminder of her intimacy with Nekhludoff. Kolosoff went
on in a loud voice and lively manner to give the contents of the
article against trial by jury which had aroused his indignation.
Missy's cousin, Michael Sergeivitch, endorsed all his statements,
and related the contents of another article in the same paper.
Missy was, as usual, very distinguee, and well, unobtrusively
well, dressed.
"You must be terribly tired," she said, after waiting until
Nekhludoff had swallowed what was in his mouth.
"Not particularly. And you? Have you been to look at the
pictures?" he asked.
"No, we put that off. We have been playing tennis at the
Salamatoffs'. It is quite true, Mr. Crooks plays remarkably
well."
Nekhludoff had come here in order to distract his thoughts, for
he used to like being in this house, both because its refined
luxury had a pleasant effect on him and because of the atmosphere
of tender flattery that unobtrusively surrounded him. But to-day
everything in the house was repulsive to him--everything:
beginning with the doorkeeper, the broad staircase, the flowers,
the footman, the table decorations, up to Missy herself, who
to-day seemed unattractive and affected. Kolosoff's self-assured,
trivial tone of liberalism was unpleasant, as was also the
sensual, self-satisfied, bull-like appearance of old Korchagin,
and the French phrases of Katerina Alexeevna, the Slavophil. The
constrained looks of the governess and the student were
unpleasant, too, but most unpleasant of all was the pronoun _him_
that Missy had used. Nekhludoff had long been wavering between
two ways of regarding Missy; sometimes he looked at her as if by
moonlight, and could see in her nothing but what was beautiful,
fresh, pretty, clever and natural; then suddenly, as if the
bright sun shone on her, he saw her defects and could not help
seeing them. This was such a day for him. To-day he saw all the
wrinkles of her face, knew which of her teeth were false, saw the
way her hair was crimped, the sharpness of her elbows, and, above
all, how large her thumb-nail was and how like her father's.
"Tennis is a dull game," said Kolosoff; "we used to play lapta
when we were children. That was much more amusing."
"Oh, no, you never tried it; it's awfully interesting," said
Missy, laying, it seemed to Nekhludoff, a very affected stress on
the word "awfully." Then a dispute arose in which Michael
Sergeivitch, Katerina Alexeevna and all the others took part,
except the governess, the student and the children, who sat
silent and wearied.