Resurrection

"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.