Bukatski did not answer; he only raised his pointed nose, and said, as if to himself,-- "Oh, marriage and love have disgusted me; for it is always profit on one side, and sacrifice on the other. Polanyetski is a good man, but what of that? She has just as much sense, just as much character, but she loves more; therefore life will fix itself for them in this way,--he will be the sun, he will be gracious enough to shine, to warm, will consider her as his property, as a planet made to circle around him. All this is indicated to-day. She has entered his sphere. There is in him a certain self-confidence which angers me. He will have her with an income, but she will have him alone without an income. He will permit himself to love, considering his love as virtue, kindness, and favor; she will love, considering her love as a happiness and a duty. Look, if you please, at him, the divine, the resplendent! I want to go back and tell them this, in the hope that they will be less happy." Meanwhile the two men had taken seats in front of Floriani's, and soon cognac was brought to them. Svirski thought some time over the Polanyetskis, and then inquired,-- "But if the position is pleasant for her?" "I know that she has short sight; she might be pleased quite as well to wear glasses." "Go to the deuce! glasses on a face like hers--" "This makes thee indignant; but the other makes me--" "Yes, for thou hast a kind of coffee-mill in thy head, which grinds, and grinds everything till it grinds it into fine dust. What dost thou want of love in general?" "I, of love? I want nothing of love! Let the devil take him who wants anything of love! I have sharp pains in my shoulder-blades from it. But if I were other than I am, if I had to describe what love ought to be, if I wanted anything of it, then I should wish--" "What? hop! jump over!" "That it were composed in equal parts of desire and reverence." Then he drank a glass of cognac, and added after a while,-- "It seems to me that I have said something which may be wise, if it is not foolish. But it is all one to me." "No! it is not foolish." "As God lives, it is all one to me." FOOTNOTES: [5] Polish noble. CHAPTER XXXII.