They always get caught; but they're
not destroyed, no more than common fish in the river get destroyed.
No. And again you think, 'And maybe power is with them, too.'"
"It's hard for us, Stepan Petrov, to understand this affair," said Sizov.
"It's hard, yes," agreed Samoylov.
His wife noisily drawing in air through her nose remarked:
"They're all strong, those imps!" With an unrestrained smile on
her broad, wizened face, she continued: "You, Nilovna, don't be
angry with me because I just now slapped you, when I said that your
son is to blame. A dog can tell who's the more to blame, to tell
you the truth. Look at the gendarmes and the spies, what they said
about our Vasily! He has shown what he can do too!"
She apparently was proud of her son, perhaps even without understanding
her feeling; but the mother did understand her feeling, and answered
with a kind smile and quiet words:
"A young heart is always nearer to the truth."
People rambled about the corridor, gathered into groups, speaking
excitedly and thoughtfully in hollow voices. Scarcely anybody stood
alone; all faces bore evidence of a desire to speak, to ask, to
listen. In the narrow white passageway the people coiled about in
sinuous curves, like dust carried in circles before a powerful wind.
Pages:
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560