ted, her
lips set, her eyes looked sternly straight before her.

'Dmitri Nikolaitch,' she began, 'we have no time to lose. I have come
for five minutes. I must tell you that my mother knows everything. Mr.
Pandalevsky saw us the day before yesterday, and he told her of our
meeting. He was always mamma's spy. She called me in to her yesterday.'

'Good God!' cried Rudin, 'this is terrible.... What did your mother
say?'

'She was not angry with me, she did not scold me, but she reproached me
for my want of discretion.'

'That was all?'

'Yes, and she declared she would sooner see me dead than your wife!'

'Is it possible she said that?'

'Yes; and she said too that you yourself did not want to marry me at
all, that you had only been flirting with me because you were bored, and
that she had not expected this of you; but that she herself was to blame
for having allowed me to see so much of you... that she relied on my
good sense, that I had very much surprised her... and I don't remember
now all she said to me.'

Natalya uttered all this in an even, almost expressionless voice.

'And you, Natalya Alexyevna, what did you answer?' asked Rudin.

'What did I answer?' repeated Natalya.... 'What do you intend to do
now?'

'Good God, good God!' replied Rudin, 'it is cruel! So soon... such a
sudden blow!... And is your mother in such indignation?'

'Yes, yes, she will not hear of you.'

'It is terrible! You mean there is no hope?

'None.'

'Why should we be so unhappy! That abominable Pandalevsky!... You ask
me, Natalya Alexyevna, what I intend to do? My head is going round--I
cannot take in anything... I can feel nothing but my unhappiness... I am
amazed that you can preserve such self-possession!'

'Do you think it is easy for me?' said Natalya.

Rudin began to walk along the bank. Natalya did not take her eyes off
him.

'Your mother did not question you?' he said at last.

'She asked me whether I love you.'

'Well... and you?'

Natalya was silent a moment. 'I told the truth.'

Rudin took her hand.

'Always, in all things generous, noble-hearted! Oh, the heart of a
girl--it's pure gold! But did your mother really declare her decision so
absolutely on the impossibility of our marriage?'

'Yes, absolutely. I have told you already; she is convinced that you
yourself don't think of marrying me.'

'Then she regards me as a traitor! What have I done to deserve it?' And
Rudin clutched his head in his han