This time the affair was not so terrorizing to her
as at the first search. She felt a greater hatred to these gray,
spurred night callers, and her hatred swallowed up her alarm.
Pavel managed to whisper:
"They'll arrest me."
Inclining her head, she quietly replied:
"I understand."
She did understand--they would put him in jail for what he had said to
the workingmen that day. But since all agreed with what he had said,
and all ought to stand up for him, he would not be detained long.
She longed to embrace him and cry over him; but there stood the
officer, watching her with a malevolent squint of his eyes. His
lips trembled, his mustache twitched. It seemed to Vlasova that
the officer was but waiting for her tears, complaints, and
supplications. With a supreme effort endeavoring to say as little
as possible, she pressed her son's hand, and holding her breath
said slowly, in a low tone:
"Good-by, Pasha. Did you take everything you need?"
"Everything. Don't worry!"
"Christ be with you!"
CHAPTER IX
When the police had led Pavel away, the mother sat down on the
bench, and closing her eyes began to weep quietly. She leaned her
back against the wall, as her husband used to do, her head thrown
backward.
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