"And how are things at your factory?" Nejdanov asked significantly.

Solomin looked away.

"We can talk things over thoroughly," he remarked a second time.
"Please excuse me a moment... I'll be back directly.... I've forgotten
something."

He went out. Had he not already produced a good impression on Nejdanov,
the latter would have thought that he was backing out, but such an idea
did not occur to him.

An hour later, when from every story, every staircase and door of the
enormous building, a noisy crowd of workpeople came streaming out, the
carriage containing Markelov, Nejdanov, and Solomin drove out of the
gates on to the road.

"Vassily Fedotitch! Is it to be done?" Pavel shouted after Solomin, whom
he had accompanied to the gate.

"No, not now," Solomin replied. "He wanted to know about some night
work," he explained, turning to his companions.

When they reached Borsionkov they had some supper, merely for the sake
of politeness, and afterwards lighted cigars and began a discussion, one
of those interminable, midnight Russian discussions which in degree and
length are only peculiar to Russians and unequalled by people of any
other nationality. During the discussion, too, Solomin did not come up
to Nejdanov's expectation. He spoke little--so little that one might
almost have said that he was quite silent. But he listened attentively,
and whenever he made any remark or gave an opinion, did so briefly,
seriously, showing a considerable amount of common-sense. Solomin did
not believe that the Russian revolution was so near at hand, but not
wishing to act as a wet blanket on others, he did not intrude his
opinions or hinder others from making attempts. He looked on from a
distance as it were, but was still a comrade by their side. He knew
the St. Petersburg revolutionists and agreed with their ideas up to a
certain point. He himself belonged to the people, and fully realised
that the great bulk of them, without whom one can do nothing, were still
quite indifferent, that they must first be prepared, by quite different
means and for entirely different ends than the upper classes. So he held
aloof, not from a sense of superiority, but as an ordinary man with a
few independent ideas, who did not wish to ruin himself or others in
vain. But as for listening, there was no harm in that.

Solomin was the only son of a deacon and had five sisters, who were all
married to priests or deacons. He was also destined for t