was difficult to say whether the smile was
meant for herself, for having blushed, or for Nejdanov. Her companion
scowled--a sinister gleam was seen in the yellowish whites of his
troubled eyes. He exchanged glances with Mariana, and without saying a
word they turned their backs on Nejdanov and walked away as slowly as
they had come, while Nejdanov followed them with a look of amazement.

Half an hour later he returned home to his room, and when, at the sound
of the gong, he appeared in the drawing room, the dark-eyed stranger
whom he had seen in the wood was already there. Sipiagin introduced
Nejdanov to him as his beaufrere'a, Valentina Mihailovna's
brother--Sergai Mihailovitch Markelov.

"I hope you will get to know each other and be friends, gentlemen,"
Sipiagin exclaimed with the amiable, stately, though absent-minded smile
characteristic of him.

Markelov bowed silently; Nejdanov responded in a similar way, and
Sipiagin, throwing back his head slightly and shrugging his shoulders,
walked away, as much as to say, "I've brought you together, but whether
you become friends or not is a matter of equal indifference to me!"

Valentina Mihailovna came up to the silent pair, standing motionless,
and introduced them to each other over again; she then turned to her
brother with that peculiarly bright, caressing expression which she
seemed able to summon at will into her wonderful eyes.

"Why, my dear Serge, you've quite forgotten us! You did not even come on
Kolia's name-day. Are you so very busy? My brother is making some
sort of new arrangement with his peasants," she remarked, turning to
Nejdanov. "So very original--three parts of everything for them and one
for himself; even then he thinks that he gets more than his share."

"My sister is fond of joking," Markelov said to Nejdanov in his turn,
"but I am prepared to agree with her; for one man to take a quarter of
what belongs to a hundred, is certainly too much."

"Do you think that I am fond of joking, Alexai Dmitritch?" Madame
Sipiagina asked with that same caressing softness in her voice and in
her eyes.

Nejdanov was at a loss for a reply, but just then Kollomietzev was
announced. The hostess went to meet him, and a few moments later a
servant appeared and announced in a sing-song voice that dinner was
ready.

At dinner Nejdanov could not keep his eyes off Mariana and Markelov.
They sat side by side, both with downcast eyes, compressed lips, and an
expres