Leo Tolstoy

“ She is modest, even secretive, and by no means fond of exhibiting her beautiful and surprising qualities. Now, my mother--who, as you will see, is a noble, sensible woman--has known Lubov Sergievna, for many years; yet even to this day she does not properly understand her. Shall I tell you why I was out of temper last evening when you were questioning me? Well, you must know that the day before yesterday Lubov asked me to accompany her to Ivan Yakovlevitch`s (you have heard of him, I suppose? the fellow who seems to be mad, but who, in reality, is a very remarkable man) . ”

“ We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog. Thereupon, Dimitri began to present me to his mother, sister, and aunt, as well as to Lubov Sergievna. ”

“ True, she is no longer young, and even rather elderly, as well as by no means good-looking; but as for loving a mere featherhead, a mere beauty--well, I never could understand that, for it is such a silly thing to do. ”

“ Thus we talked together on many an intimate subject which even a friend seldom mentions to a friend. He told me about his family whose acquaintance I had not yet made--about his mother, his aunt, and his sister, as also about her whom Woloda and Dubkoff believed to be his "flame," and always spoke of as "the lady with the chestnut locks." ”

“ She often goes to see him, and converses with him, and gives him money for the poor--money which she has earned herself. She is a marvellous woman, as you will see. Well, I went with her to Ivan`s, and felt very grateful to her for having afforded me the opportunity of exchanging a word with so remarkable a man ”