Malthus was a well-known railway magnate. Oblonsky spoke of the marshes which Malthus had leased in the Province of Tver, of how they were preserved, of the vehicles – dog-carts – in which the sportsmen were driven thither, and of the marquee that was set up for lunch beside the marsh.
Oblonsky contó después la deliciosa cacería en que participara el verano anterior en las tierras de Maltus. Maltus era una conocida personalidad de las compañías de ferrocarriles que poseía una gran fortuna.