d and
cleansed her soul, and had renovated her heart with a new power. She
communed with herself, desiring to take a look into her own heart, and
fearing lest she awaken some anxiety there.

"What are you thinking about?" Liudmila asked kindly, walking up to her.

"I don't know."

The two women were silent, looking at each other. Both smiled; then
Liudmila walked out of the room, saying:

"What is my samovar doing?"

The mother looked through the window. A cold, bracing day shone in the
street; her breast, too, shone bright, but hot. She wanted to speak
much about everything, joyfully, with a confused feeling of gratitude
to somebody--she did not know whom--for all that came into her soul,
and lighted it with a ruddy evening light. A desire to pray, which she
had not felt for a long time, arose in her breast. Somebody's young
face came to her memory, somebody's resonant voice shouted, "That's the
mother of Pavel Vlasov!" Sasha's eyes flashed joyously and tenderly.
Rybin's dark, tall figure loomed up, the bronzed, firm face of her son
smiled. Nikolay blinked in embarrassment; and suddenly everything was
stirred with a deep but light breath.

"Nikolay was right," said Liudmila, entering again. "He must surely
have been arrested. I sent the boy there, as you told me to. He said
policemen are hiding in the yard; he did not see the house porter; but
he saw the policeman who was hiding behind the gates. And spies are
sauntering about; the boy knows them."

"So?" The mother nodded her head. "Ah, poor fellow!"

And she sighed, but without sadness, and was quietly surprised at
herself.

"Lately he's been reading a great deal to the city workingmen; and in
general it was time for him to disappear," Liudmila said with a frown.
"The comrades told him to go, but he didn't obey them. I think that in
such cases you must compel and not try to persuade."

A dark-haired, red-faced boy with beautiful eyes and a hooked nose
appeared in the doorway.

"Shall I bring in the samovar?" he asked in a ringing voice.

"Yes, please, Seryozha. This is my pupil; have you never met him
before?"

"No."

"He used to go to Nikolay sometimes; I sent him."

Liudmila seemed to the mother to be different to-day--simpler and
nearer to her. In the supple swaying of her stately figure there was
much beauty and power; her sternness had mildened; the circles under
her eyes had grown larger during the night, her face paler and lea