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Stepan Arkadyevitch had gone to Petersburg to perform the most

natural and essential official duty-so familiar to everyone in

the government service, though incomprehensible to outsiders-that

duty, but for which one could hardly be in government service, of

reminding the ministry of his existence-and having, for the due

performance of this rite, taken all the available cash from home,

was gaily and agreeably spending his days at the races and in the

summer villas. Meanwhile Dolly and the children had moved into

the country, to cut down expenses as much as possible. She had

gone to Ergushovo, the estate that had been her dowry, and the

one where in spring the forest had been sold. It was nearly forty

miles from Levin's Pokrovskoe. The big, old house at Ergushovo

had been pulled down long ago, and the old prince had had the

lodge done up and built on to.