make it come
clean. You may whisper as much as you like, Mr. Paklin, but you won't
get anything out of it!"

At this point the governor considered it necessary to interfere.

"I think that you have said enough, gentlemen," he began, "and I'll ask
you, my dear baron, to take Mr. Markelov away. N'est ce pas, Boris, you
don't want him any further--"

Sipiagin made a gesture with his hands.

"I said everything I could think of!"

"Very well, baron!"

The adjutant came up to Markelov, clinked his spurs, made a horizontal
movement of the hand, as if to request Markelov to make a move; the
latter turned and walked out. Paklin, only in imagination it is true,
but with bitter sympathy and pity, shook him by the hand.

"We'll send some of our men to the factory," the governor continued;
"but you know, Boris, I thought this gentleman" (he moved his chin in
Paklin's direction) "told you something about your niece... I understood
that she was there at the factory. Then how..."

"It's impossible to arrest her in any case," Sipiagin remarked
thoughtfully; "perhaps she will think better of it and return. I'll
write her a note, if I may."

"Do please. You may be quite sure... nous offrerons le quidam ... mais
nous sommes galants avec les dames et avec celle-la donc!"

"But you've made no arrangements about this Solomin," Kollomietzev
exclaimed plaintively. He had been on the alert all the while, trying to
catch what the governor and Sipiagin were saying. "I assure you he's the
principal ringleader! I have a wonderful instinct about these things!"

"Pas trop de zele, my dear Simion Petrovitch," the governor remarked
with a smile. "You remember Talleyrand! If it is really as you say the
fellow won't escape us. You had better think of your--" the governor put
his hand to his throat significantly. "By the way," he said, turning to
Sipiagin, "et ce gaillard-la" (he moved his chin in Paklin's direction).
"Qu'enferons nous? He does not appear very dangerous."

"Let him go," Sipiagin said in an undertone, and added in German, "Lass'
den Lumpen laufen!"

He imagined for some reason that he was quoting from Goethe's Gotz von
Berlichingen.

"You can go, sir!" the governor said aloud. "We do not require you any
longer. Good day."

Paklin bowed to the company in general and went out into the street
completely crushed and humiliated. Heavens! this contempt had utterly
broken him.

"Good God! What am I? A coward, a traitor?" he th