‘Well, that’s a good thing too. Go along, and look at the fields....’

And Lezhnyov betook himself to the apartments of Alexandra Pavlovna. He found her in the drawing-room. She welcomed him effusively. She was always pleased when he came; but her face still looked sorrowful. She was uneasy about Rudin’s visit the day before.

‘You have seen my brother?’ she asked Lezhnyov. ‘How is he to-day?’

‘All right, he has gone to the fields.’

Alexandra Favlovna did not speak for a minute.

‘Tell me, please,’ she began, gazing earnestly at the hem of her pocket-handkerchief, ‘don’t you know why...’

‘Rudin came here?’ put in Lezhnyov. ‘I know, he came to say good-bye.’

Alexandra Pavlovna lifted up her head.

‘What, to say good-bye!’

‘Yes. Haven’t you heard? He is leaving Darya Mihailovna’s.’