LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 6 



Agriculture was very restricted at Panassovka, 

 for the property consisted mostly of pasture land for 

 horses and sheep. The younger brother, Dmitri 

 Ivanovitch, had undertaken the management of the 

 estate. He was entirely devoted to the family of his 

 elder brother, whom he had followed into the country. 

 Though only a few years younger, he used the respect- 

 ful second person plural in speaking to Ilia Ivano- 

 vitch, whilst the latter said " thou " to him. Dmitri 

 Ivanovitch was tall, thin, and taciturn, a silent pipe- 

 smoker. The lively Emilia Lvovna often said to 

 him, " But why do you never talk, Mitienka ? " To 

 which he invariably answered, "It is not every one 

 who is as talkative as you are, Emilia Lvovna." Yet 

 they were on the best of terms. Dmitri Ivanovitch 

 would have gone through fire for his sister-in-law, 

 as she well knew. She had the utmost confidence in 

 him, and depended upon his support in every difficult 

 circumstance. 



At Panassovka the men spent the greater part 

 of the day, and often even of the night, in playing 

 cards ; games were organised between neighbours and 

 relations, and that occupation was considered most 

 important. Meals were prolonged indefinitely ; every- 

 thing was served in abundance and eaten with a con- 

 noisseur's appreciation, each dish being discussed. 

 After the meal was over, the cook would make his 

 daily appearance, and the next day's menu was drawn 

 up by the whole party. After a siesta, gambling was 

 resumed. Thus the days went by in the cult of good 

 cheer and of cards, interspersed with conversations 

 about horses and sometimes about politics. 



By this time Ilia Ivanovitch was beginning to 

 become bald and obese. It is difficult to define what 



I 



