ran more than two hours, I mostly asked questions and listened.

one knew, was in two years to take a professorship in the university,"

and secondly because he immediately and respectfully apologised for

having been unable to be at the funeral. She positively pounced upon

him, and made him sit on her left hand (Amalia Ivanovna was on her

right). In spite of her continual anxiety that the dishes should be

passed round correctly and that every one should taste them, in

spite of the agonising cough which interrupted her every minute and

seemed to have grown worse during the last few days she hastened to