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166 did anything clever, or whenever she took a very rare moment of rest, and her back did not ache, as she used to say—all that was a real joy—"

"Akh! don't tell us anything more about your real sorrows and joys," says Viéra Pavlovna.

"If that is the case, perhaps you would like to hear Natasha's confession?"

"I do not want to hear it. She, too, had the same kind of real sorrows and joys, I am sure of it."

"That's absolutely true."

"But, maybe, you will be interested in hearing my confession," says Serge, who suddenly appeared to be with them.

"We will see," says Viéra Pavlovna.

"My father and mother, though they were rich, yet they always worried and talked about money. Rich people, too, are not free from such kinds of worriment—"

"You don't know how to play 'Confession,' Serge," said Alekséi Petróvitch, politely. "Please tell me why they worried about money matters? What expenses worried them? What necessities put them into embarrassment?"

"Yes, I understand why you ask that," said Serge; "but let us drop this subject. Let us turn to the other view of their thoughts. They, too, took care of their children."

"But they always had enough to give their children, didn't they?" asked Alekséi Petróvitch.

"Of course; but they had to look out that—"

"Don't play 'Confession,' Serge," said Alekséi Petróvitch. "We know your whole story; care about superfluities, thoughts about things not necessary, have been the soil in which you grew up; that is, a fantastic soil. Just look at yourself! You are naturally not at all a stupid man, but a very good man; maybe not worse and not more stupid than we are; but what are you good for? what is the use of your living?"

"I am good for escorting Julie everywhere that she wants me to go. I help Julie to spend all the money she wants to spend," replies Serge.

"From this we see," says Alekséi Petróvitch, "that a fantastic and unhealthy soil—"

"Akh! how tired I am of your realism and fantasticism! I don't know what they mean by such terms, and still they keep on using them," says Viéra Pavlovna.