Chapter 3

           Asageneralrule,oldGeneralIvolgin’sparoxysmsendedinsmoke.Hehadbeforethisexperiencedfitsofsuddenfury,butnotveryoften,becausehewasreallyamanofpeacefulandkindlydisposition.Hehadtriedhundredsoftimestoovercomethedissolutehabitswhichhehadcontractedoflateyears.Hewouldsuddenlyrememberthathewas“afather,”wouldbereconciledwithhiswife,andshedgenuinetears.HisfeelingforNinaAlexandrovnaamountedalmosttoadoration;shehadpardonedsomuchinsilence,andlovedhimstillinspiteofthestateofdegradationintowhichhehadfallen.Butthegeneral’sstruggleswithhisownweaknessneverlastedverylong.Hewas,inhisway,animpetuousman,andaquietlifeofrepentanceinthebosomofhisfamilysoonbecameinsupportabletohim.Intheendherebelled,andflewintorageswhichheregretted,perhaps,evenashegavewaytothem,butwhichwerebeyondhiscontrol.Hepickedquarrelswitheveryone,begantoholdfortheloquently,exactedunlimitedrespect,andatlastdisappearedfromthehouse,andsometimesdidnotreturnforalongtime.Hehadgivenupinterferingintheaffairsofhisfamilyfortwoyearsnow,andknewnothingaboutthembutwhathegatheredfromhearsay.

           Butonthisoccasiontherewassomethingmoreseriousthanusual.Everyoneseemedtoknowsomething,buttobeafraidtotalkaboutit.