ook,
wash, sew... You'll see, you'll see.... And there won't be any kind of
merit in it, only happiness, happiness--"

Mariana ceased and fixed her eyes eagerly in the distance, not that
which lay before her, but another distance as yet unknown to her, which
she seemed to see.... She was all aglow.

Nejdanov bent down to her waist.

"Oh, Mariana!" he whispered. "I am not worthy of you!"

She trembled all over.

"It's time to go home!" she exclaimed, "or Valentina Mihailovna will be
looking for us again. However, I think she's given me up as a bad job.
I'm quite a black sheep in her eyes."

Mariana pronounced the last words with such a bright joyful expression
that Nejdanov could not help laughing as he looked at her and repeating,
"black sheep!"

"She is awfully hurt," Mariana went on, "that you are not at her feet.
But that is nothing. The most important thing is that I can't stay here
any longer. I must run away."

"Run away?" Nejdanov asked.

"Yes.... You are not going to stay here, are you? We'll go away
together.... We must work together...You'll come with me, won't you?"

"To the ends of the earth!" Nejdanov exclaimed, his voice ringing with
sudden emotion in a transport of gratitude. "To the ends of the earth!"
At that moment he would have gone with her wherever she wanted, without
so much as looking back.

Mariana understood him and gave a gentle, blissful sigh.

"Then take my hand, dearest--only don't kiss it--press it firmly, like a
comrade, like a friend--like this!"

They walked home together, pensive, happy. The young grass caressed
their feet, the young leaves rustled about them, patches of light and
shade played over their garments--and they both smiled at the wild
play of the light, at the merry gusts of wind, at the fresh, sparkling
leaves, at their own youth, and at one another.

XXIII

THE dawn was already approaching on the night after Golushkin's dinner
when Solomin, after a brisk walk of about five miles, knocked at the
gate in the high wall surrounding the factory. The watchman let him in
at once and, followed by three house-dogs wagging their tails with great
delight, accompanied him respectfully to his own dwelling. He seemed to
be very pleased that the chief had got back safely.

"How did you manage to get here at night, Vassily Fedotitch? We didn't
expect you until tomorrow."

"Oh, that's all right, Gavrilla. It's much nicer walking at night."

The most unusuall