"It's much better than your Russian," she said calmly. "You ought not to have said 'ukhoditzay' to people—you only say that to beggars, and I think they were rather annoyed with you."
"I should imagine they were," he laughed; "but won't you tell me what happened to your servant? I thought I saw him on the outskirts of the crowd and the impression I formed was——" he hesitated.
"I shouldn't form impressions if I were you," she said hurriedly. "Here in Russia one ought not to puzzle one's head over such things. When you meet the inexplicable, accept it as such and inquire no further."
She was silent again, and when she spoke she was more serious.
"The Russian people always impress me as a great sea of lava, boiling and spluttering and rolling slowly between frail banks which we have built for them," said the girl.
"I often wonder whether those banks will ever break," said Malcolm quietly; "if they do——"
"Yes?"
"They will burn up Russia," said Malcolm.
"So I think," said the girl. "Father believes that the war——" she stopped short.
"The war?"