Now it seemed to her that she herself
was like that boat, which at the time had reminded her of a coffin
waiting for its dead. In the evening of the same day she had
learned that the wife of one of Zansaylov's clerks had been drowned
in the pond--a little woman with black disheveled hair, who always
walked at a brisk gait.
The mother passed her hands over her eyes as if to rub her
reminiscences away, and her thoughts fluttered like a varicolored
ribbon. Overcome by her impressions of the day before, she sat for
a long time, her eyes fixed upon the cup of tea grown cold. Gradually
the desire came to see some wise, simple person, speak to him, and
ask him many things.
As if in answer to her wish, Nikolay Ivanovich came in after dinner.
When she saw him, however, she was suddenly seized with alarm, and
failed to respond to his greeting.
"Oh, my friend," she said softly, "there was no use for you to come
here. If they arrest you here, too, then that will be the end of
Pasha altogether. It's very careless of you! They'll take you
without fail if they see you here."
He clasped her hand tightly, adjusted his glasses on his nose, and
bending his face close to her, explained to her in haste:
"I made an agreement with Pavel and Andrey, that if they were
arrested, I must see that you move over to the city the very next
day.
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