eal penitence
of your wrongs and a full confession without reserve which will be duly
presented in the proper quarters--"

"Your excellency," Markelov exclaimed suddenly, turning towards the
governor--the very sound of his voice was calm, though it was a little
hoarse; "I thought that you wanted to see me in order to cross-examine
me again, but if I have been brought here solely by Mr. Sipiagin's wish,
then please order me to be taken back again. We cannot understand one
another. All he says is so much Greek to me."

"Greek, eh!" Kollomietzev shrieked. "And to set peasants rioting, is
that Greek too? Is that Greek too, eh?

"What have you here, your excellency? A landowner of the secret police?
And how zealous he is!" Markelov remarked, a faint smile of pleasure
playing about his pale lips.

Kollomietzev stamped and raged, but the governor stopped him.

"It serves you right, Simion Petrovitch. You shouldn't interfere in what
is not your business."

"Not my business... not my business... It seems to me that it's the
business of every nobleman--"

Markelov scanned Kollomietzev coldly and slowly, as if for the last time
and then turned to Sipiagin.

"If you really want to know my views, my dear brother-in-law, here they
are. I admit that the peasants had a right to arrest me and give me up
if they disapproved of what I preached to them. They were free to
do what they wanted. I came to them, not they to me. As for the
government--if it does send me to Siberia, I'll go without grumbling,
although I don't consider myself guilty. The government does its work,
defends itself. Are you satisfied?"

Sipiagin wrung his hands in despair.

"Satisfied!! What a word! That's not the point, and it is not for us
to judge the doings of the government. The question, my dear Sergai,
is whether you feel" (Sipiagin had decided to touch the tender strings)
"the utter unreasonableness, senselessness, of your undertaking and are
prepared to repent; and whether I can answer for you at all, my dear
Sergai."

Markelov frowned.

"I have said all I have to say and don't want to repeat it."

"But don't you repent? Don't you repent?"

"Oh, leave me alone with your repentance! You want to steal into my very
soul? Leave that, at any rate, to me."

Sipiagin shrugged his shoulders.

"You were always like that; never would listen to common-sense. You have
a splendid chance of getting out of this quietly, honourably...

"Quietly, honour