‘I came to you as one man of honour to another,’ repeated Rudin, ‘and I want now to appeal to your sense of justice.... I have complete confidence in you.’
‘What is the matter?’ said Volintsev, who all this time was still standing in his original position, staring sullenly at Rudin, and sometimes pulling the ends of his moustache.
‘If you would kindly... I came here to make an explanation, certainly, but all the same it cannot be done off-hand.’
‘Why not?’
‘A third person is involved in this matter.’
‘What third person?’
‘Sergei Pavlitch, you understand me?’
‘Dmitri Nikolaitch, I don’t understand you in the least.’
‘You prefer——’
‘I prefer you should speak plainly!’ broke in Volintsev.