“Oh! then, officers are to take part in the concert, are they?” asked Lialia mechanically, thinking all the while of something quite different. “Why, of course!” exclaimed Schafroff, with a wave of his hand. “Lida has only got to accept, and they’ll all swarm round her like bees. As for Sarudine, he’ll be delighted to sing; it doesn’t matter where, so long as he can sing. This will attract a good many of his brother- officers, and we shall get a full house.” “You ought to ask Sina Karsavina,” said Lialia, looking wistfully at her brother. “He surely can’t have forgotten,” she thought. “How can he discuss this stupid concert, whilst I …” “Why, I told you just now we had done so!” replied Schafroff. “Oh! yes, so you did,” said Lialia, smiling faintly. “Then there’s Lida. But you mentioned her I think?” “Of course I did! Whom else can we ask, eh?” “I really … don’t know!” faltered Lialia. “I’ve got such a headache.” Yourii glanced hurriedly at his sister, and then continued to pore over his pamphlets. Pale and heavy-eyed, she excited his compassion. “Oh! why, why did I say all that to her?” he thought. “The whole question is so obscure, to me, as to so many others, and now it must needs trouble her poor little heart! Why, why did I say that!” He felt as if he could tear his hair. “If you please, miss,” said the maid at the door, “Mr. Anatole Pavlovitch has just come.” Yourii gave another frightened glance at his sister, and met her sad eyes. In confusion he turned to Schafroff, and said hastily: “Have you read Charles Bradlaugh?” “Yes, we read some of his works with Dubova, and Sina Karsavina. Most interesting.” “Yes. Oh! have they come back?” “Yes.” “Since when?” asked Yourii, hiding his emotion. “Since the day before yesterday.” “Oh! really!” replied Yourii, as he watched Lialia. He felt ashamed and afraid in her presence, as if he had deceived her. For a moment Lialia stood there irresolute, touching things nervously on the table. Then she approached the door. “Oh! what have I done!” thought Yourii, as, sincerely grieved, he listened to the sound of her faltering footsteps. As she went towards the other room, Lialia, doubting and distressed, felt as if she were frozen. It seemed as though she were wandering in a dark wood. She glanced at a mirror, and saw the reflection of her own rueful countenance. “He shall just see me looking like this!” she thought. Riasantzeff was standing in the dining-room, saying in his remarkably pleasant voice to Nicolai Yegorovitch: “Of course, it’s rather strange, but quite harmless.” At the sound of his voice Lialia felt her heart throb violently, as if it must break. When Riasantzeff saw her, he suddenly stopped talking and came forward to meet her with outstretched arms. She alone knew that this gesture signified his desire to embrace her.