“Yes, Volodia has done very well,” she said. “He is President of the Chamber, and has bought an estate.⁠ ⁠… Yes, his children are growing up⁠—three boys and two girls,” and as she stopped talking her black eyebrows were contracted into a frown, and I could see that she was making an effort to prevent herself from expressing her thoughts, trying to rid herself of them.

“Well, and Basil?”

“Basil is just the same; you know the sort of man he is.”

“Still devoted to society?”

“Yes.”

“Has he any children?”

“Three.”

That is how we talked when her sons and daughters were our subject of conversation.