it struck midnight he
heard hurried footsteps.

"To-morrow evening, then, again at Muridov's," Atchmianov heard,
and he recognised Kirilin's voice. "At eight o'clock; good-bye!"

Nadyezhda Fyodorovna made her appearance near the garden. Without
noticing that Atchmianov was sitting on the bench, she passed beside
him like a shadow, opened the gate, and leaving it open, went into
the house. In her own room she lighted the candle and quickly
undressed, but instead of getting into bed, she sank on her knees
before a chair, flung her arms round it, and rested her head on it.

It was past two when Laevsky came home.

XV

Having made up his mind to lie, not all at once but piecemeal,
Laevsky went soon after one o'clock next day to Samoylenko to ask
for the money that he might be sure to get off on Saturday. After
his hysterical attack, which had added an acute feeling of shame
to his depressed state of mind, it was unthinkable to remain in the
town. If Samoylenko should insist on his conditions, he thought it
would be possible to agree to them and take the money, and next
day, just as he was starting, to say that Nadyezhda Fyodorovna
refused to go. He would be able to persuade her that evening that
the whole arrangement would be for her benefit. If Samoylenko, who
was obviously under the influence of Von Koren, should refuse the
money altogether or make fresh conditions, then he, Laevsky, would
go off that very evening in a cargo vessel, or even in a sailing-boat,
to Novy Athon or Novorossiisk, would send from there an humiliating
telegram, and would stay there till his mother sent him the money
for the journey.

When he went into Samoylenko's, he found Von Koren in the drawing-room.
The zoologist had just arrived for dinner, and, as usual, was turning
over the album and scrutinising the gentlemen in top-hats and the
ladies in caps.

"How very unlucky!" thought Laevsky, seeing him. "He may be in the
way. Good-morning."

"Good-morning," answered Von Koren, without looking at him.

"Is Alexandr Daviditch at home?"

"Yes, in the kitchen."

Laevsky went into the kitchen, but seeing from the door that
Samoylenko was busy over the salad, he went back into the drawing-room
and sat down. He always had a feeling of awkwardness in the zoologist's
presence, and now he was afraid there would be talk about his attack
of hysterics. There was more than a minute of silence. Von Koren
suddenly raised his eyes to Laevsky and as