"I'm very glad if I have. If I could only help you in some way,
all of you. If I only could!"
"Don't fear, you will."
She laughed softly:
"I can't help fearing; that's exactly what I can't help. But thank
you for the good word, my dear son."
"All right, mother; don't let's talk about it any more. Know that
I love you; and I thank you most heartily."
She walked into the kitchen in order not to annoy him with her tears.
CHAPTER XVIII
Several days later Vyesovshchikov came in, as shabby, untidy, and
disgruntled as ever.
"Haven't you heard who killed Isay?" He stopped in his clumsy
pacing of the room to turn to Pavel.
"No!" Pavel answered briefly.
"There you got a man who wasn't squeamish about the job! And I'd
always been preparing to do it myself. It was my job--just the
thing for me!"
"Don't talk nonsense, Nikolay," Pavel said in a friendly manner.
"Now, really, what's the matter with you?" interposed the mother
kindly. "You have a soft heart, and yet you keep barking like a
vicious dog. What do you go on that way for?"
At this moment she was actually pleased to see Nikolay. Even his
pockmarked face looked more agreeable to her.
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