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"I'm beginning to be weary of fruitlessly championing the truth,

and sometimes I'm quite unhinged by it. The Society of the Little

Sisters" (this was a religiously-patriotic, philanthropic

institution) "was going splendidly, but with these gentlemen it's

impossible to do anything," added Countess Lidia Ivanovna in a

tone of ironical submission to destiny. "They pounce on the idea,

and distort it, and then work it out so pettily and unworthily.

Two or three people, your husband among them, understand all the

importance of the thing, but the others simply drag it down.

Yesterday Pravdin wrote to me...."

Pravdin was a well-known Panslavist abroad, and Countess Lidia

Ivanovna described the purport of his letter.

Then the countess told her of more disagreements and intrigues

against the work of the unification of the churches, and departed

in haste, as she had that day to be at the meeting of some

society and also at the Slavonic committee.