“Then why do you—”
“What?”
“Why do you follow this road?”
“Because there is no other. I mean that my aims are the same as Markelov’s—but our paths are different.”
“Poor Sergai Mihailovitch!” Mariana exclaimed sadly. Solomin passed his hand cautiously over hers.
“There, there, we know nothing as yet. We’ll see what news Pavel brings back. In our calling one must be brave. The English have a proverb ‘Never say die.’ A very good proverb, I think, much better than our Russian, ‘When trouble knocks, open the gates wide!’ We mustn’t meet trouble half way.”
Solomin stood up.
“And the place you were going to find me?” Mariana asked suddenly. The tears were still shining on her cheeks, but there was no sadness in her eyes. Solomin sat down again.
“Are you in such a great hurry to get away from here?”
“Oh, no! Only I wanted to do something useful.”