s will be clearer."

Tatiana went out and Solomin also rose. Mariana was standing with her
back to him, but when at last she turned towards him, rather surprised
that he had not said a single word, she saw in his face, in his eyes
that were fixed on her, an expression she had not seen there before; an
expression of inquiry, anxiety, almost of curiosity. She became confused
and blushed again. Solomin, too, was ashamed of what she had read in his
face and began talking louder than was his wont.

"Well, well, Mariana, and so you have made a beginning."

"What sort of beginning, Vassily Fedotitch? Do you call this a
beginning? Alexai was right. It's as if we were acting a farce."

Solomin sat down again.

"But, Mariana... what did you picture the beginning to be like? Not
standing behind the barricades waving a flag and shouting, 'Hurrah for
the republic!' Besides, that is not a woman's work. Now, today you will
begin teaching some Lukeria, something good for her, and a difficult
matter it will be, because you won't understand your Lukeria and she
won't understand you, and on top of it she will imagine that what you
are teaching is of no earthly use to her. In two or three weeks you will
try your hand on another Lukeria, and meanwhile you will be washing a
baby here, teaching another the alphabet, or handing some sick man his
medicine. That will be your beginning."

"But sisters of mercy do that, Vassily Fedotitch! What is the use of
all this, then?" Mariana pointed to herself and round about with a vague
gesture. "I dreamt of something else."

"Did you want to sacrifice yourself?"

Mariana's eyes glistened.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"And Nejdanov?"

Mariana shrugged her shoulders.

"What of Nejdanov? We shall go together... or I will go alone."

Solomin looked at her intently.

"Do you know, Mariana... excuse the coarse expression... but, to my
mind, combing the scurfy head of a gutter child is a sacrifice; a great
sacrifice of which not many people are capable."

"I would not shirk that, Vassily Fedotitch."

"I know you would not. You are capable of doing that and will do it,
until something else turns up.

"But for that sort of thing I must learn of Tatiana!"

"You could not do better. You will be washing pots and plucking
chickens... And, who knows, maybe you will save your country in that
way!"

"You are laughing at me, Vassily Fedotitch."

Solomin shook his head slowly.

"My dear Mariana, believe