“But, my dear lady, I don’t know who Anna Zaharovna is, nor what tree you are talking about. A foolish woman says some foolish things to you and you can’t endure it! How will you live in that case? The whole world is composed of fools. Your reason is not good enough. Have you any other?”
“I am convinced,” Nejdanov interposed in a hollow voice, “that Mr. Sipiagin will turn me out of the house tomorrow of his own accord. Someone must have told him. He treats me ... in the most contemptuous manner.”
Solomin turned to Nejdanov.
“If that’s the case, then why run away?”
Nejdanov did not know what to say.
“But I’ve already told you—,” he began.
“He said that,” Mariana put in, “because I am going with him.”
Solomin looked at her and shook his head good-naturedly.
“In that case, my dear lady, I say again, that if you want to leave here because you think the revolution is about to break out—”
“That was precisely why we asked you to come,” Mariana interrupted him; “we wanted to find out exactly how matters stood.”