第300章

第300章countilyaandreitchhadgivenupbeingamarshalofnobility,becausethatpositioninvolvedtooheavyanexpenditure.buthisdifficultieswerenotremovedbythat.oftennatashaandnikolayknewofuneasy,privateconsultationsbetweentheirparents,andheardtalkofsellingthesumptuousancestralhouseoftherostovsandtheestatenearmoscow.whenthecountwasnolongermarshalitwasnotnecessarytoentertainonsuchalargescale,andtheyledaquieterlifeatotradnoethaninformeryears.buttheimmensehouseandthelodgeswerestillfullofpeople;morethantwentypersonsstillsatdowntotablewiththem.thesewerealltheirownpeople,time-honouredinmatesoftheirhousehold,almostmembersofthefamily,orpersonswhomust,itseemed,inevitablyliveinthecount’shouse.suchweredimmler,themusic-master,andhiswife;vogelthedancing-master,withhisfamily;anoldmadamebyelov,andmanyothersbesides;petya’stutors,thegirls’oldgoverness,andpersonswhosimplyfounditbetterormoreprofitabletoliveatthecount’sthaninahouseoftheirown.theydidnotentertainsomanyguestsasbefore,buttheystilllivedinthatmanner,apartfromwhichthecountandcountesscouldnothaveconceivedoflifeatall.therewasstillthesamehuntingestablishment,increasedindeedbynikolay.therewerestillthesamefiftyhorsesandfifteengroomsinthestables;thesamecostlypresentsonname-days,andceremonialdinnerstothewholeneighbourhood.therewerestillthecount’sgamesofwhistandboston,atwhich,lettingeveryoneseehiscards,heallowedhimselftobeplunderedeverydayofhundredsbyhisneighbours,wholookedupontheprivilegeofmakinguparubberwithcountilyaandreitchasaprofitableinvestment.

thecountwentintohisaffairsasthoughwalkingintoahugenet,tryingnottobelievethathewasentangled,andateverystepgettingmoreandmoreentangled,andfeelingtoofeebleeithertotearthenetsthatheldhimfast,orwithcareandpatiencetosetaboutdisentanglingthem.thecountesswithherlovingheartfeltthatherchildrenwerebeingruined,thatthecountwasnottoblame,thathecouldnothelpbeingwhathewas,thathewasdistressedhimself（thoughhetriedtoconcealit）attheconsciousnessofhisownandhischildren’sruin,andwasseekingmeanstoimprovetheirposition.toherfemininemindonlyonewayofdoingsooccurred—thatwas,tomarrynikolaytoawealthyheiress.shefeltthatthiswastheirlasthope,andthatifnikolayweretorefusethematchshehadfoundforhimshemustbidfarewellforevertoallchanceofimprovingtheirposition.thismatchwasjuliekaragin,thedaughterofexcellentandvirtuousparents,knowntotherostovsfromchildhood,andnowleftawealthyheiressbythedeathofherlastsurvivingbrother.