ootsteps coming up the stairs. She fixed her
eyes on the door... the steps drew nearer. The door opened and Nejdanov,
supported under the arm by Pavel, appeared in the doorway. He was deadly
pale, without a cap, his dishevelled hair hung in wet tufts over his
forehead, he stared vacantly straight in front of him. Pavel helped him
across the room (Nejdanov's legs were weak and shaky) and made him sit
down on the couch.

Mariana sprang up from her seat.

"What is the meaning of this? What's the matter with him? Is he ill?"

As he settled Nejdanov, Pavel answered her with a smile, looking at her
over his shoulder.

"You needn't worry. He'll soon be all right. It's only because he's not
used to it."

"What's the matter?" Mariana persisted.

"He's only a little tipsy. Been drinking on an empty stomach; that's
all."

Mariana bent over Nejdanov. He was half lying on the couch, his head
sunk on his breast, his eyes closed. He smelled of vodka; he was quite
drunk.

"Alexai!" escaped her lips.

He raised his heavy eyelids with difficulty, and tried to smile.

"Well, Mariana!" he stammered out, "you've always talked of
sim-plif-ication... so here I am quite simplified. Because the people
are always drunk... and so..."

He ceased, then muttered something indistinctly to himself, closed his
eyes, and fell asleep. Pavel stretched him carefully on the couch.

"Don't worry, Mariana Vikentievna," he repeated. "He'll sleep an hour or
two and wake up as fresh as can be."

Mariana wanted to ask how this had happened, but her questions would
have detained Pavel and she wanted to be alone... she did not wish Pavel
to see him in this disgusting state before her. She walked away to the
window while Pavel, who instantly understood her, carefully covered
Nejdanov's legs with the skirts of his coat, put a pillow under his
head, and observing once again, "It's nothing," went out on tiptoe.

Mariana looked round. Nejdanov's head was buried in the pillow and on
his pale face there was an expression of fixed intensity as on the face
of one dangerously ill.

"I wonder how it happened?" she thought.

XXXII

IT happened like this.

Sitting down beside Pavel in the cart, Nejdanov fell into a state of
great excitement. As soon as they rolled out of the courtyard onto the
high road leading to T. he began shouting out the most absurd things to
the peasants he met on the way. "Why are you asleep? Rouse yourself! The
time ha