Liza; Or, "A Nest of Nobles"Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevich
General
Liza; Or, "A Nest of Nobles"
Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevich
Russia -- Fiction
Ivan Petrovich was at that time amusing himself in Paris, having
retired from the service soon after the year 1815. On receiving the
news of his father's death, he determined to return to Russia. The
organization of his property had to be considered. Besides, according
to Glafira's letter, Fedia had finished his twelfth year; and the time
had come for taking serious thought about his education.
X.
Ivan Petrovich returned to Russia an Anglomaniac. Short hair, starched
frills, a pea-green, long-skirted coat with a number of little
collars; a soar expression of countenance, something trenchant and
at the same time careless in his demeanor, an utterance through
the teeth, an abrupt wooden laugh, an absence of smile, a habit of
conversing only on political or politico-economical subjects, a
passion for under-done roast beef and port wine--every thing in him
breathed, so to speak, of Great Britain. He seemed entirely imbued by
its spirit. But strange to say, while becoming an Anglomaniac, Ivan
Petrovich had also become a patriot,--at all events he called himself
a patriot,--although he knew very little about Russia, he had not
retained a single Russian habit, and he expressed himself in Russian
oddly. In ordinary talk, his language was colorless and unwieldy,
and absolutely bristled with Gallicisms. But the moment that the
conversation turned upon serious topics, Ivan Petrovich immediately
began to give utterance to such expressions as "to render manifest
abnormal symptoms of enthusiasm," or "this is extravagantly
inconsistent with the essential nature of circumstances," and so
forth. He had brought with him some manuscript plans, intended to
assist in the organization and improvement of the empire. For he was
greatly discontented with what he saw taking place. It was the absence
of system which especially aroused his indignation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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