Chapter 4 — Chapter 4

The general and his wife were aware of this agreement, and, therefore, when
Totski suggested himself for one of the sisters, the parents made no doubt that
one of the two elder girls would probably accept the offer, since Totski would
certainly make no difficulty as to dowry. The general valued the proposal very
highly. He knew life, and realized what such an offer was worth.

The answer of the sisters to the communication was, if not conclusive, at least
consoling and hopeful. It made known that the eldest, Alexandra, would very
likely be disposed to listen to a proposal.

Alexandra was a good-natured girl, though she had a will of her own. She was
intelligent and kind-hearted, and, if she were to marry Totski, she would make
him a good wife. She did not care for a brilliant marriage; she was eminently a
woman calculated to soothe and sweeten the life of any man; decidedly pretty,
if not absolutely handsome. What better could Totski wish?

So the matter crept slowly forward. The general and Totski had agreed to avoid
any hasty and irrevocable step. Alexandra’s parents had not even begun to
talk to their daughters freely upon the subject, when suddenly, as it were, a
dissonant chord was struck amid the harmony of the proceedings. Mrs. Epanchin
began to show signs of discontent, and that was a serious matter. A certain
circumstance had crept in, a disagreeable and troublesome factor, which
threatened to overturn the whole business.

This circumstance had come into existence eighteen years before. Close to an
estate of Totski’s, in one of the central provinces of Russia, there
lived, at that time, a poor gentleman whose estate was of the wretchedest
description. This gentleman was noted in the district for his persistent
ill-fortune; his name was Barashkoff, and, as regards family and descent, he
was vastly superior to Totski, but his estate was mortgaged to the last acre.
One day, when he had ridden over to the town to see a creditor, the chief
peasant of his village followed him shortly after, with the news that his house
had been burnt down, and that his wife had perished with it, but his children
were safe.