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where years were concerned, General Yepanchin was, as they say, in the very prime of life, fifty-six and not a day more, which is of course a flourishing age, an age when real life truly begins. His good health, his facial complexion, his strong though blackened teeth, his stocky, thick-set build, the preoccupied expression of his physiognomy in the morning at his work in the office, the cheerful one in the evening at cards or at the count’s - it all made possible his present and future success, and strewed his excellency’s path with roses.

    The general possessed a flourishing family. To be sure, not all was roses there, but there were on the other hand many things on which, both seriously and stout-heartedly, his excellency had long begun to concentrate his principal hopes and aims. And indeed, what aim in life is more important and sacred than a father’s? To what should one adhere, if not to one’s family? The general’s family consisted of his spouse and three grown-up daughters. Very long ago, while still a lieutenant, the general had married a girl of almost his own age, possessing neither beauty nor education, and for whom he had received a dowry of only fifty serfs - which had, it was true, served as the basis of his subsequent fortune. But the general never grumbled later about his early marriage, never spoke of it slightingly as an infatuation of extravagant youth, and his respect for his spouse and occasional fear of her were so great that it could even be said that he loved her. The general’s wife was from the line of the Princes Myshkin, a family which, though it did not shine, was very ancient, and her descent was a great source of pride to her. A certain influential person of those days, one of those patrons whose patronage does not really cost them anything, agreed to take an interest in the marriage of the young princess. He opened the door for the young officer and pushed him through; though the officer did not even need a push, for a mere look would have been enough - it would not have been wasted! With a few exceptions, the married couple spent the entire period of their long jubilee in harmony. At a very young age, as a born princess and the last in her family, and also, perhaps, because of her personal qualities, the general’s wife had been able to find herself several very highly placed patronesses. Later, because of her spouse’s wealth and official standing, she even began to feel somewhat at ease in this higher circle.
    During these recent years all three of the general’s daughters -Alexandra, Adelaida and Aglaya-had grown up and matured. To be sure, all three were only Yepanchins, but descended from princes on their mother’s side, with sizeable dowries, with a father who might later lay claim to a very high social position, and, what was also rather important, all three were remarkably pretty, including the eldest, Alexandra, who was already over twenty-five. The middle daughter was twenty-three, while the youngest, Aglaya, had just had her twentieth birthday. This youngest was even quite a beauty, and beginning to attract much attention in society. But this, too, was not all: all three were distinguished by their education, intelligence and talents. It was well known that they were wonderfully fond of one another and that they each supported one another. There was even talk of some kind of sacrifices that were said to have been made by the two elder daughters for the sake of the family idol - the youngest. They were not only reluctant to push themselves forward in company, but were even too modest.No one could reproach them for being haughty or overbearing, and yet everyone knew that they were proud, and aware of their own worth. The eldest was a musician, and the middle one was an excellent painter; but almost no one knew anything about this for many years, and it had only been discovered in the very recent past, and even then by accident. 4 In a word, exceeding praise was lavished