then a sort of bewilderment came over her; she
extinguished the candle and, gliding quickly along the dark corridor,
entered her own room, undressed and went to bed in the soothing
darkness.

XVI

ON awakening the following morning, Nejdanov did not feel the slightest
embarrassment at what had taken place the previous night, but was, on
the contrary, filled with a sort of quiet joy, as if he had fulfilled
something which ought to have been done long ago. Asking for two days'
leave from Sipiagin, who consented readily, though with a certain amount
of severity, Nejdanov set out for Markelov's. Before his departure he
managed to see Mariana. She was also not in the least abashed, looked
at him calmly and resolutely, and called him "dear" quite naturally.
She was very much concerned about what he might hear at Markelov's, and
begged him to tell her everything.

"Of course!" he replied. "After all," he thought, "why should we be
disturbed? In our friendship personal feeling played only... a secondary
part, and we are united forever. In the name of the cause? Yes, in the
name of the cause!"

Thus Nejdanov thought, and he did not himself suspect how much truth and
how much falsehood there lay in his reflections.

He found Markelov in the same weary, sullen frame of mind. After a very
impromptu dinner they set out in the well-known carriage to the merchant
Falyeva's cotton factory where Solomin lived. (The second side horse
harnessed to the carriage was a young colt that had never been in
harness before. Markelov's own horse was still a little lame.)

Nejdanov's curiosity had been aroused. He very much wanted to become
closer acquainted with a man about whom he had heard so much of late.
Solomin had been informed of their coming, so that as soon as the two
travellers stopped at the gates of the factory and announced who they
were, they were immediately conducted into the hideous little wing
occupied by the "engineering manager." He was at that time in the main
body of the building, and while one of the workmen ran to fetch him,
Nejdanov and Markelov managed to go up to the window and look around.
The factory was apparently in a very flourishing condition and
over-loaded with work. From every corner came the quick buzzing sound of
unceasing activity; the puffing and rattling of machines, the creaking
of looms, the humming of wheels, the whirling of straps, while trolleys,
barrels, and loaded carts were rolling in