"You must live for me," answered David, lowering his voice and gazing at her steadily. Raissa looked up quickly and blushed more deeply. "Live and spell as you please.--The devil! here's that old witch coming." (By the witch David meant my aunt.) "What brings her this way? Run off, my dear." With one more look at David, Raissa hastened away. It was only seldom and with great reluctance that David used to talk with me about Raissa and her family, especially since he had begun to expect his father's return. He could think of nothing but him, and how we should then live. He remembered him clearly, and used to describe him to me with great satisfaction: "Tall, strong: with one hand he could lift two hundred pounds. If he called, 'I say, boy!' the whole house could hear him. And such a man as he is--good and brave! I don't believe there's anything he's afraid of. We lived pleasantly until our misfortunes came upon us. They say his hair is become perfectly gray, but it used to be light red like mine. He's a powerful man." David would never agree that we were going to live in Riasan. "You'll go away," I used to say, "but I shall stay here." "Nonsense! we'll take you with us." "And what'll become of my father?" "You'll leave him. If you don't, it will be the worse for you." "How so?" David merely frowned and made no answer. "See here: if we go with my father," he resumed, "he will get some good position: I shall marry--" "Not so soon as that?" I interrupted. "Why not? I shall marry soon." "You?" "Yes, I; and why not?" "Have you chosen your wife yet?" "Of course." "And who is it?" David smiled: "How stupid you are! Who but Raissa?" "Raissa?" I repeated in my amazement. "You're joking." "I never make jokes: I don't know how to." "But she's a year older than you?" "What difference does that make? But we won't talk any more about it." "Just one question," I persisted. "Does she know that you want to marry her?" "Probably." "But you haven't told her?" "What is there to tell her? When the time comes I'll tell her. Now, that's enough." David rose and left the room. When I was alone I thought it over, and, at last came to the conclusion that David was acting like a wise and practical man, and I felt a glow of pride at being the friend of such a practical man. And Raissa in her eternal black woolen dress suddenly seemed to me charming and deserving of the most devoted affection. XV.