Book 2 Chapter 14 An Aristocratic Circle

When he came to Petersburg and stopped at his aunt's--his
mother's sister, the Countess Tcharsky, wife of a former
minister--Nekhludoff at once found himself in the very midst of
that aristocratic circle which had grown so foreign to him. This
was very unpleasant, but there was no possibility of getting out
of it. To put up at an hotel instead of at his aunt's house would
have been to offend his aunt, and, besides, his aunt had
important connections and might be extremely useful in all these
matters he meant to attend to.

"What is this I hear about you? All sorts of marvels," said the
Countess Katerina Ivanovna Tcharsky, as she gave him his coffee
immediately after his arrival. "_Vous posez pour un Howard_.
Helping criminals, going the round of prisons, setting things
right."

"Oh, no. I never thought of it."

"Why not? It is a good thing, only there seems to be some
romantic story connected with it. Let us hear all about it."

Nekhludoff told her the whole truth about his relations to
Maslova.

"Yes, yes, I remember your poor mother telling me about it. That
was when you were staying with those old women. I believe they
wished to marry you to their ward (the Countess Katerina Ivanovna
had always despised Nekhludoff's aunts on his father's side). So
it's she. _Elle est encore jolie?_"

Katerina Ivanovna was a strong, bright, energetic, talkative
woman of 60. She was tall and very stout, and had a decided black
moustache on her lip. Nekhludoff was fond of her and had even as
a child been infected by her energy and mirth.