ful.

'To liberate one's country!' she said. 'It is terrible even to utter
those words, they are so grand.'

At that instant Anna Vassilyevna came into the room, and the
conversation stopped.

Bersenyev was stirred by strange emotions when he returned home that
evening. He did not regret his plan of making Elena acquainted with
Insarov, he felt the deep impression made on her by his account of the
young Bulgarian very natural... had he not himself tried to deepen that
impression! But a vague, unfathomable emotion lurked secretly in his
heart; he was sad with a sadness that had nothing noble in it. This
sadness did not prevent him, however, from setting to work on the
_History of the Hohenstaufen_, and beginning to read it at the very page
at which he had left off the evening before.

XI

Two days later, Insarov in accordance with his promise arrived at
Bersenyev's with his luggage. He had no servant; but without any
assistance he put his room to rights, arranged the furniture, dusted and
swept the floor. He had special trouble with the writing table, which
would not fit into the recess in the wall assigned for it; but Insarov,
with the silent persistence peculiar to him succeeded in getting his own
way with it. When he had settled in, he asked Bersenyev to let him pay
him ten roubles in advance, and arming himself with a thick stick, set
off to inspect the country surrounding his new abode. He returned three
hours later; and in response to Bersenyev's invitation to share his
repast, he said that he would not refuse to dine with him that day, but
that he had already spoken to the woman of the house, and would get her
to send him up his meals for the future.

'Upon my word!' said Bersenyev, 'you will fare very badly; that old body
can't cook a bit. Why don't you dine with me, we would go halves over
the cost.'

'My means don't allow me to dine as you do,' Insarov replied with a
tranquil smile.

There was something in that smile which forbade further insistence;
Bersenyev did not add a word. After dinner he proposed to Insarov that
he should take him to the Stahovs; but he replied that he had intended
to devote the evening to correspondence with his Bulgarians, and so
he would ask him to put off the visit to the Stahovs till next day.
Bersenyev was already familiar with Insarov's unbending will; but it
was only now when he was under the same roof with him, that he fully
realised at last that Insarov woul