“He can't be telling me the truth!” thought Velchaninoff; he was struck dumb with surprise.
“Well, go on!” he muttered at last.
“Well, I see it was all her pretty childish nature, sir—that and her friends together. You must forgive my stupid conduct towards yourself to-day, Alexey Ivanovitch. I will never do it again—never again, sir, I assure you!”
“I shall never be there to give you the opportunity,” replied Velchaninoff with a laugh.
“That's partly why I say it,” said Pavel.
“Oh, come! I'm not the only man in the world you know!” said the other irritably.
“I am sorry to hear you say that, Alexey Ivanovitch. My esteem for Nadejda is such that I——”
“Oh, forgive me, forgive me! I meant nothing, I assure you! Only it surprises me that you should have expected so much of me—that you trusted me so completely.”
“I trusted you entirely, sir, solely on account of—all that has passed.”
“So that you still consider me the most honourable of men?” Velchaninoff paused, the naïve nature of his sudden question surprised even himself.