“How elegant she is!”
After a while the Mashkos rose to take farewell. Mashko, when kissing Marynia’s hand at parting, said,—
“Perhaps I shall go to St. Petersburg soon; at that time remember my wife a little.”
During tea Marynia reminded Zavilovski of his promise to bring at his first visit, and read to her, the variant of “On the Threshold;” he had grown so attached to the Polanyetskis already that he gave not only the variant, but another poem, which he had written earlier. It was evident that he was amazed himself at his own self-confidence and readiness; so that when he had finished reading, and heard the praises, which were really sincere, he said,—
“I declare truly that with you, after the third meeting, it seems as though we were acquainted from of old. So true is this that I am astonished.”
Pan Stanislav remembered that once he had said something similar to Marynia in Kremen; but he received this now as if it included him also.
But Zavilovski had her only in mind; she simply delighted him with her straightforward kindness, and her face.
“That beast is really capable,” said Pan Stanislav, when Zavilovski had gone. “Hast thou noticed that he is changed a little in the face?”
“He has cut his hair,” answered Marynia.
“Ah, ha! and his chin sticks out a trifle more.”