CHAPTEK XIII 



Slight illness — Engagement to Mile. P6dorovitch — ^Marriage — lUness 

 of the bride — Pecuniary difficulties — Spezzia — Montreux — Work in 

 Petersburg University — ^The Riviera — Ccslomata and Acoelomata 

 — St. Vaast — Panassovka — ^Madeira — ^Mertens — Teneriffe — Return 

 to Odessa — Bad news, hurried journey to Madeira — Death of his 

 wife — Return through Spain — Attempted suicide — Ephemeridse. 



It was only in the house of his friends the B.'s that 

 Elie* felt at his ease. He was devotedly fond of 

 their children, whom he used to take for walks on 

 Sundays and to the theatre now and then ; he was 

 always ready to read to them and to indulge them in 

 every possible way. 



He continued to entertain the dream of marrying 

 one of thenj. some day, and was particularly interested 

 in the eldest, a girl of thirteen, intelligent, gifted, and 

 lively ; however, as he knew her better, he realised 

 the incompatibility of their respective tempers, an 

 incompatibility which brought about frequent dis- 

 putes. These were generally smoothed down by a 

 mutual friend. Mile. Fedorovitch, who invariably 

 showed Elie a marked and cordial sympathy. He 

 became ill at this juncture and she nursed him with 

 a devotion which brought them together even more, 

 as will be seen from the following letter to his mother : 



Dear Mother — I have just had an inflammation of the 

 throat which lasted two weeks ; it is quite gone now and I 

 would not even have mentioned it to you if it had not been 

 connected with what follows. 



65 F 



