g useful."

"You are useful here, Mariana. Don't leave us yet, wait a little longer.
What is it?" Solomin asked of Tatiana who was just coming in.

"Some sort of female is asking for Alexai Dmitritch," Tatiana replied,
laughing and gesticulating with her hands.

"I said that there was no such person living here, that we did not know
him at all, when she--"

"Who is she?"

"Why the female of course. She wrote her name on this piece of paper
and asked me to bring it here and let her in, saying that if Alexai
Dmitritch was really not at home, she could wait for him."

On the paper was written in large letters "Mashurina."

"Show her in," Solomin said. "You don't mind my asking her in here,
Mariana, do you? She is also one of us."

"Not at all."

A few moments later Mashurina appeared in the doorway, in the same dress
in which we saw her at the beginning of the first chapter.

XXXI

"Is Nejdanov not at home?" she asked, then catching sight of Solomin,
came up to him and extended her hand.

"How do you do, Solomin?" She threw a side-glance at Mariana.

"He will be back directly," Solomin said. "But tell me how you came to
know--"

"Markelov told me. Besides several people in the town already know that
he's here."

"Really?"

"Yes. Somebody must have let it out. Besides Nejdanov has been
recognised."

"For all the dressing up!" Solomin muttered to himself. "Allow me to
introduce you," he said aloud, "Miss Sinitska, Miss Mashurina! Won't you
sit down?"

Mashurina nodded her head slightly and sat down. "I have a letter for
Nejdanov and a message for you, Solomin."

"What message? And from whom?"

"From someone who is well known to you... Well, is everything ready
here?"

"Nothing whatever."

Mashurina opened her tiny eyes as wide as she could.

"Nothing?

"Nothing."

"Absolutely nothing?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"Is that what I am to say?"

"Exactly."

Mashurina became thoughtful and pulled a cigarette out of her pocket.

"Can I have a light?"

"Here is a match."

Mashurina lighted her cigarette.

"They expected something different," she began, "Altogether different
from what you have here. However, that is your affair. I am not going to
stay long. I only want to see Nejdanov and give him the letter."

"Where are you going to?

"A long way from here." (She was going to Geneva, but did not want
Solomin to know as she did not quite trust him, and besides a stranger
was