After a week spent at “Smoke,” after seeing him at home, in the factory, in field and forest, after talking through the night with him by the flickering light of the fire, he understood how Vera’s eye and heart should have recognised the simple completeness of the man and placed Tushin side by side with Tatiana Markovna and her sister in her affections. Raisky himself was attracted to this simple, gentle and yet strong personality, and would like to have stayed longer at “Smoke,” but Tatiana Markovna wrote asking him to return without delay as his presence was necessary at Malinovka.
Tushin offered to drive with him, for company’s sake, as he said; in reality he wanted to know why Tatiana Markovna had sent for Raisky, whether there was a new turn in Vera’s affairs, or any service to be rendered her. He remembered uncomfortably his meeting with Mark, and how unwillingly he had said that he was going away. Tushin wondered anxiously whether he had kept his promise, whether he was annoying Vera in any way.
When Raisky reached Malinovka he hurried straight to Vera. While his impressions were still fresh, he drew in vivid colours a full length portrait of Tushin, describing his surroundings and his activities with sympathetic appreciation.
Vera sighed, perhaps for sorrow that she did not love Tushin more and differently.
Raisky would have gone on talking about his visit if he had not had a message from his aunt that she would like to see him immediately. He asked Vera if she knew why he had been sent for.
“I know something is wrong, but she has not told me, and I don’t like to ask. Indeed, I fear....”
She broke off, and at that moment Tushin sent in word to know if she would receive him. She assented.
When Raisky entered her room, Tatiana Markovna dismissed Pashutka and locked the door. She looked worried and old, and her appearance terrified Raisky.
“Has something disagreeable happened?” he asked, sitting down opposite her.
“What is done is done,” she said sadly.