Resurrection

"Of course, there is a good deal of truth in Lombroso's

teaching," said Kolosoff, lolling back in the low chair and

looking at Sophia Vasilievna with sleepy eyes; "but he

over-stepped the mark. Oh, yes."

"And you? Do you believe in heredity?" asked Sophia Vasilievna,

turning to Nekhludoff, whose silence annoyed her. "In heredity?"

he asked. "No, I don't." At this moment his whole mind was taken

up by strange images that in some unaccountable way rose up in

his imagination. By the side of this strong and handsome Philip

he seemed at this minute to see the nude figure of Kolosoff as an

artist's model; with his stomach like a melon, his bald head, and

his arms without muscle, like pestles. In the same dim way the

limbs of Sophia Vasilievna, now covered with silks and velvets,

rose up in his mind as they must be in reality; but this mental

picture was too horrid and he tried to drive it away.

"Well, you know Missy is waiting for you," she said. "Go and find

her. She wants to play a new piece by Grieg to you; it is most

interesting."

"She did not mean to play anything; the woman is simply lying,

for some reason or other," thought Nekhludoff, rising and

pressing Sophia Vasilievna's transparent and bony, ringed hand.

Katerina Alexeevna met him in the drawing-room, and at once

began, in French, as usual: "I see the duties of a juryman act depressingly upon you."

"Yes; pardon me, I am in low spirits to-day, and have no right to

weary others by my presence," said Nekhludoff.

"Why are you in low spirits?"

"Allow me not to speak about that," he said, looking round for

his hat.

"Don't you remember how you used to say that we must always tell

the truth? And what cruel truths you used to tell us all! Why do

you not wish to speak out now? Don't you remember, Missy?" she

said, turning to Missy, who had just come in.

"We were playing a game then," said Nekhludoff, seriously; "one

may tell the truth in a game, but in reality we are so bad--I

mean I am so bad--that I, at least, cannot tell the truth."

"Oh, do not correct yourself, but rather tell us why _we_ are

so bad," said Katerina Alexeevna, playing with her words and

pretending not to notice how serious Nekhludoff was.

"Nothing is worse than to confess to being in low spirits," said

Missy. "I never do it, and therefore am always in good spirits."