ing him.
It's on a very urgent matter.' We wanted to get rid of him, as we did
of that woman, told him Vassily Fedotitch was not at home, but he is
determined to see him even if he has to wait until midnight. There he
is walking about in the yard. Come and have a look at him through the
little window in the corridor. Perhaps you'll recognise him."

Mariana followed Tatiana out into the corridor, and on passing Nejdanov
was again struck by that painful frown on his forehead and passed her
pocket-handkerchief over it a second time.

Through the dusty little window she caught a glimpse of the visitor whom
Tatiana had spoken of. He was unknown to her. At this moment Solomin
appeared from a corner of the house.

The little cripple rushed up to him and extended his hand. Solomin
pressed it. He was obviously acquainted with him. They both
disappeared... Soon their footsteps were heard coming up the stairs.
They were coming to see her.

Mariana fled into her own room and remained standing in the middle of
it, hardly able to breathe. She was mortally afraid... but of what? She
did not know herself.

Solomin's head appeared through the door.

"Mariana Vikentievna, can I come in? I have brought someone whom it's
absolutely necessary for you to see."

Mariana merely nodded her head in reply and behind Solomin in
walked--Paklin.

XXXIII

"I AM a friend of your husband's," he said, bowing very low, as if
anxious to conceal his frightened face, "and also of Vassily Fedotitch.
I hear Alexai Dmitritch is asleep and not very well. Unfortunately, I
have brought bad news. I have already told Vassily Fedotitch something
about it and am afraid decisive measures will have to be taken."

Paklin's voice broke continually, like that of a man who was tortured
by thirst. The items of news he had to communicate were certainly very
unpleasant ones. Some peasants had seized Markelov and brought him to
the town. The stupid clerk had betrayed Golushkin, who was now under
arrest, he in his turn was betraying everything and everybody, wanted to
go over to the Orthodox Church, had offered to present a portrait of the
Bishop Filaret to the public school, and had already given five thousand
roubles to be distributed among crippled soldiers. There was not a
shadow of a doubt that he had informed against Nejdanov; the police
might make a raid upon the factory any moment. Vassily Fedotitch was
also in danger. "As for myself," Paklin added, "