Leo Tolstoy

“ Men are like rivers—­the water in all of them, and at every point, is the same, but every one of them is now narrow, now swift, now wide, now calm, now clear, now cold, now muddy, now warm. So it is with men. Every man bears within him the germs of all human qualities, sometimes manifesting one quality, sometimes another; and often does not resemble himself at all, manifesting no change. With some people these changes are particularly sharp. And to this class Nekhludoff belonged. These changes in him had both physical and spiritual causes; and one of these changes he was now undergoing. ”

“ But it would not be true to say of one man that he is always kind or wise, and of another that he is always wicked or foolish. ”

“ But she herself does not wish it. ’I don’t care to be chambermaid to that scurvy lot,’ she said. That is the kind of people they are, Prince,” he added.
Nekhludoff made no answer and asked to be admitted to her. The inspector sent the warden, and Nekhludoff followed him into the empty visiting-room.
Maslova was already there, quietly and timidly emerging from behind the grating. She approached close to Nekhludoff, and, looking past him, quietly said:
“Forgive me, Dmitri Ivanovich; I have spoken improperly the other day.”
“It is not for me to forgive you——­” Nekhludoff began. ”