I answered warmly. "Your business training is of
the greatest value to us. Molozov has said to me 'that he does not
know what we should do without you.'"

(This was not strictly true.)

"Ah!" the little man was greatly pleased. "I am glad, very glad--to
hear what you say. Semyonov made me feel--"

"You should not be influenced," I hurriedly interrupted him, "by what
Semyonov thinks. It is of no importance."

"He has a bad character," Andrey Vassilievitch said suddenly with
great excitement, "a bad character. And why cannot he leave me alone?
Why should he laugh always? I do my best. I am quiet and not in his
way. I can do things that he cannot. I am not big as he but at least I
do not rob men of their women."

He was shaking with anger, his head trembling and his hands
quivering--it was difficult not to smile.

"You must not listen nor notice nor think of it," I said firmly. "We
are grateful for your work--all of us. Semyonov laughs at us all."

"That poor Marie Ivanovna," he burst out. "She does not know. She is
ignorant of life. At first I was angry with her but now I see that she
is helpless. There will be terrible things afterwards, Ivan
Andreievitch!" he cried.

"I think she understands him better than we do."

"I have never," he said vehemently, "hated a man in my life as I hate
him." But in spite of his passionate declaration he was obviously
reassured by my defence of him. He was quiet suddenly, looked at the
view mildly and, in a moment, thought me the best friend he had in the
world--in the Russian manner.

"You see, Ivan Andreievitch," he said, looking at me with the eyes of
an unnaturally wise baby, "that I cannot help wishing that my wife
were here to advise Marie Ivanovna. She would have loved my wife very
much, as every one did, and would have confided in her. That would
have helped a girl who, like Marie Ivanovna, is ignorant of the world
and the loves of men."

"You miss your wife very much?" I asked.

"There is not a moment of the day but I do not think of her," he
answered very solemnly, staring in front of him. "That must seem
strange to you who did not know her, and even I sometimes think it is
not good. But what to do? She was a woman so remarkable that no one
who knew her can forget."

"I have often been told that every one who knew her loved her," I
said.

"Ah! you have heard that.... They talk of her, of course. She will
always be remembered." His eyes shone with pleasure. "Y