l fool me, never fear. All of you men are like that. You
just gain yours at first, to get your pleasure, and then--no attention
whatsoever!"

"I? Oh? That I should do this!" Lichonin exclaimed warmly and even
smote himself on the chest with his free hand. "Then you know me very
badly! I'm too honest a man to be deceiving a defenseless girl. No!
I'll exert all my powers and all my soul to educate your mind, to widen
your outlook, to compel your poor heart, which has suffered so, to
forget all the wounds and wrongs which life has inflicted upon it. I
will be a father and a brother to you! I shall safeguard your every
step! And if you will come to love somebody with a truly pure, holy
love, then I shall bless that day and hour when I had snatched you out
of this Dantean hell!"

During the continuation of this flaming tirade the old cabby with great
significance, although silently, began laughing, and from this
inaudible laughter his back shook. Old cabbies hear very many things,
because to the cabby, sitting in front, everything is readily audible,
which is not at all suspected by the conversing fares; and many things
do the old cabbies know of that which takes place among people. Who
knows, perhaps he had heard more than once even more disordered, more
lofty speeches?

It seemed to Liubka for some reason that Lichonin had grown angry at
her, or that he was growing jealous beforehand of some imaginary rival.
He was declaiming with entirely too much noise and agitation. She
became perfectly awake, turned her face to Lichonin with wide open,
uncomprehending, and at the same time submissive eyes, and slightly
touched his right hand, lying on her waist, with her fingers.

"Don't get angry, my sweetie. I'll never exchange you for another.
Here's my word of honour, honest to God! My word of honour, that I
never will! Don't you think I feel you're wanting to take care of me?
Do you think I don't understand? Why, you're such an attractive, nice
little young fellow. There, now, if you were an old man and homely..."

"Ah! You haven't got the right idea!" shouted Lichonin, and again in
high-flown style began to tell her about the equal rights of women,
about the sacredness of toil, about human justice, about freedom, about
the struggle against reigning evil.

Of all his words Liubka understood exactly not a one. She still felt
herself guilty of something and somehow shrank all up, grew sad, bowed
her head and became quiet. A l