At these words Masha only laughed.
'And he used to say I didn't care for money,' she commented, and she gave Tchertop-hanov a vigorous thump on the shoulder.
He jumped up on to his feet.
'Come, at least you must let me give you some money--how can you go like this without a halfpenny? But best of all: kill me! I tell you plainly: kill me once for all!'
Masha shook her head again. 'Kill you? Why get sent to Siberia, my dearie?'
Tchertop-hanov shuddered. 'Then it's only from that--from fear of penal servitude.'
He rolled on the grass again.
Masha stood over him in silence. 'I'm sorry for you, dear,' she said with a sigh: 'you're a good fellow... but there's no help for it: good-bye!'
She turned away and took two steps. The night had come on by now, and dim shadows were closing in on all sides. Tchertop-hanov jumped up swiftly and seized Masha from behind by her two elbows.
'You are going away like this, serpent, to Yaff!'