to show him too much ... too much
obvious attention."

Aratoff uttered the whole of this little speech in the same resonant but
firm voice in which men who are still very young answer at examinations
on questions for which they are well prepared.... He was indignant; he
was angry.... And that wrath had loosed his tongue which was not very
fluent on ordinary occasions.

She continued to advance along the path with somewhat lagging steps....
Aratoff followed her as before, and as before saw only her little old
mantilla and her small hat, which was not quite new either. His vanity
suffered at the thought that she must now be thinking: "All I had to do
was to make a sign, and he immediately hastened to me!"

Aratoff lapsed into silence ... he expected that she would reply to him;
but she did not utter a word.

"I am ready to listen to you," he began again, "and I shall even be very
glad if I can be of service to you in any way ... although, I must
confess, nevertheless, that I find it astonishing ... that considering
my isolated life...."

But at his last words Clara suddenly turned to him and he beheld the
same startled, profoundly-sorrowful visage, with the same large, bright
tears in its eyes, with the same woful expression around the parted
lips; and the visage was so fine thus that he involuntarily broke off
short and felt within himself something akin to fright, and pity and
forbearance.

"Akh, why ... why are you like this? ..." she said with irresistibly
sincere and upright force--and what a touching ring there was to her
voice!--"Is it possible that my appeal to you can have offended you?...
Is it possible that you have understood nothing?... Ah, yes! You have
not understood anything, you have not understood what I said to you. God
knows what you have imagined about me, you have not even reflected what
it cost me to write to you!... You have been anxious only on your own
account, about your own dignity, your own peace!... But did I...." (she
so tightly clenched her hands which she had raised to her lips that her
fingers cracked audibly).... "As though I had made any demands upon you,
as though explanations were requisite to begin with.... 'My dear
madame'.... 'I even find it astonishing'.... 'If I can be of service to
you'.... Akh, how foolish I have been!--I have been deceived in you, in
your face!... When I saw you for the first time.... There.... There you
stand.... And not one word do you utter! Have yo