Part 65

“You are laughing at me, Vassily Fedotitch.”

Solomin shook his head slowly.

“My dear Mariana, believe me, I am not laughing at you. What I said was the simple truth. You are already, all you Russian women, more capable and higher than we men.”

Mariana raised her eyes.

“I would like to live up to your idea of us, Solomin... and then I should be ready to die.”

Solomin stood up.

“No, it is better to live! That’s the main thing. By the way, would you like to know what is happening at the Sipiagins? Won’t they do anything? You have only to drop Pavel a hint and he will find out everything in a twinkling.”

Mariana was surprised.

“What a wonderful person he is!”

“Yes, he certainly is wonderful. And should you want to marry Alexai, he will arrange that too with Zosim, the priest. You remember I told you about him. But perhaps it is not necessary as yet, eh?”

“No, not yet.”

“Very well.” Solomin went up to the door dividing the two rooms, Mariana’s and Nejdanov’s, and examined the lock.

“What are you doing?” Mariana asked. “Does it lock all right?”

“Yes,” Mariana whispered.

Solomin turned to her. She did not raise her eyes.

“Then there is no need to bother about the Sipiagins,” he continued gaily, “is there?”

Solomin was about to go out.

“Vassily Fedotitch...”

“Yes...”

“Why is it you are so talkative with me when you are usually so silent? You can’t imagine what pleasure it gives me.”

“Why?” Solomin took both her soft little hands in his big hard ones. “Why, did you ask? Well, I suppose it must be because I love you so much. Good-bye.”

He went out. Mariana stood pensive looking after him. In a little while she went to find Tatiana who had not yet brought the samovar. She had tea with her, washed some pots, plucked a chicken, and even combed out some boy’s tangled head of hair.

Before dinner she returned to her own rooms and soon afterwards Nejdanov arrived.

He came in tired and covered with dust and dropped on to the sofa. She immediately sat down beside him.

“Well, tell me what happened.”

“You remember the two lines,” he responded in a weary voice:

“It would have been so funny Were it not so sad.”

“Do you remember?”