He did not know at all how much he had, what his debts amounted to, or what dowry he could give Vera.

When his daughters were born he had assigned to each of them, for her dowry, an estate with three hundred serfs; but one of these estates had already been sold, and the other was mortgaged and the interest so much in arrears that it would have to be sold, so that it was impossible to give it to Vera.

Nor had he any money.

Berg had already been engaged a month, and only a week remained before the wedding, but the count had not yet decided in his own mind the question of the dowry, nor spoken to his wife about it.

At one time the count thought of giving her the Ryazan estate or of selling a forest, at another time of borrowing money on a note of hand.