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Atthebeginningofthesummerof1850,aRussiannobleman,CountKostiaPetrovitchLeminof,hadthemisfortunetolosehiswifesuddenly,andintheflowerofherbeauty.Shewashisjuniorbytwelveyears.Thiscruelloss,forwhichhewastotallyunprepared,threwhimintoastateofprofoundmelancholy;andsomemonthslater,seekingtomitigatehisgriefbythedistractionsoftravel,helefthisdomainsnearMoscow,neverintendingtoreturn.
Accompaniedbyhistwinchildren,tenyearsofage,apriestwhohadservedthemastutor,andaserfnamedIvan,herepairedtoOdessa,andthentookpassageonamerchantshipforMartinique.
DisembarkingatSt.Pierre,hetooklodgingsinaremotepartofthesuburbs.Theprofoundsolitudewhichreignedtheredidnotatfirstbringtheconsolationhehadsought.Itwasnotenoughthathehadlefthisnativecountry,hewouldhavechangedtheplanetitself;andhecomplainedthatnatureeverywherewastoomuchalike.Nolocalityseemedtohimsufficientlyastrangertohisexperience,andinthedesertedplaces,wherethedesperaterestlessnessofhisheartimpelledhim,heimaginedthereappearanceoftheobtrusivewitnessesofhispastjoys,andofthemisfortunebywhichtheyweresuddenlyterminated.
HehadlivedayearinMartiniquewhentheyellowfevercarriedoffoneofhischildren.Byasingularreactioninhisvigoroustemperament,itwasaboutthistimethathissombermelancholygavewaytoabitterandsarcasticgayety,moreinharmonywithhisnature.Fromhisearlyyouthhehadhadatasteforjocularity,amockingturnofspirit,seasonedbythatironicalgraceofmannerpeculiartothegreatMoscovitenobleman,andresultingfromtheconstanthabitoftriflingwithmenandevents.Hisrecoverydidnot,however,restoretheagreeablemannerswhichinformertimeshaddistinguishedhiminhisintercoursewiththeworld.Sufferinghadbroughthimaleavenofmisanthropy,whichhedidnottakethetroubleofdisguising;hisvoicehadlostitscaressingnotesandhadbecomerudeandabrupt;hisactionswerebrusque,andhissmilescornful.Sometimeshisbearinggaveevidenceofahaughtywillwhich,tyrannizedoverbyevents,soughttoavengeitselfuponmankind.
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