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When Nekhludoff had finished his coffee, he went to his study to

look at the summons, and find out what ti his answer to the princess Passing

through his studio, where a few studies hung on the walls and,

facing the easel, stood an unfinished picture, a feeling of

inability to advance in art, a sense of his incapacity, ca, of late, and explained it by

his too finely-developed aesthetic taste; still, the feeling was

a very unpleasant one Seven years before this he had given up

sure that he had a talent for art, and

had looked doith soht of his artistic standpoint And now it turned out that he

had no right to do so, and therefore everything that reminded him

of all this was unpleasant He looked at the luxurious fittings

of the studio with a heavy heart, and it was in no cheerful e, lofty rooant appearance He found

the sueon hole, labelled "i table He had to appear at the court at 11

o'clock

Nekhludoff sat down to write a note in reply to the princess,

thanking her for the invitation, and pro written one note, he tore it up, as it seemed too

intimate He wrote another, but it was too cold; he feared it

ive offence, so he tore it up, too He pressed the button

of an electric bell, and his servant, an elderly,