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Half Moscow and Petersburg were friends and relations of Stepan

Arkadyevitch. He was born in the midst of those who had been and

are the powerful ones of this world. One-third of the men in the

government, the older men, had been friends of his father's, and

had known him in petticoats; another third were his intimate

chums, and the remainder were friendly acquaintances.

Consequently the distributors of earthly blessings in the shape

of places, rents, shares, and such, were all his friends, and

could not overlook one of their own set; and Oblonsky had no need

to make any special exertion to get a lucrative post. He had only

not to refuse things, not to show jealousy, not to be quarrelsome

or take offense, all of which from his characteristic good nature

he never did.