Solomin glanced at Nejdanov, but the latter merely shook his head.
Solomin stretched out his hand and carefully snuffed the candle.
“I tell you what, my children,” he said at last, “come to me at the factory. It’s not beautiful there, but safe, at any rate. I will hide you. I have a little spare room there. Nobody will find you. If only you get there, we won’t give you up. You might think that there are far too many people about, but that’s one of its good points. Where there is a crowd it’s easy to hide. Will you come? Will you?”
“How can we thank you enough!” Nejdanov exclaimed, whilst Mariana, who was at first a little taken aback by the idea of the factory, added quickly:
“Of course, of course! How good of you! But you won’t leave us there long, will you? You will send us on, won’t you?”
“That will depend entirely on yourselves.... If you should want to get married that could also be arranged at the factory. I have a neighbour there close by—a cousin of mine, a priest, and very friendly. He would marry you with the greatest of pleasure.”
Mariana smiled to herself, while Nejdanov again pressed Solomin’s hand.
“But I say, won’t your employer, the owner of the factory, be annoyed about it. Won’t he make it unpleasant for you?” he asked after a pause.
Solomin looked askance at Nejdanov.
“Oh, don’t bother about me! It’s quite unnecessary. So long as things at the factory go on all right it’s all the same to my employer. You need neither of you fear the least unpleasantness. And you need not be afraid of the workpeople either. Only let me know what time to expect you.”