“Such are my principles, my dear sir, and I beg you not to annoy me by your objections!”
Sipiagin began pacing up and down the room, while Paklin stared with all his might. “Ugh! you devil!” he thought, “I heard that you were a liberal, but you’re just like a hungry lion!”
The door was flung open and Valentina Mihailovna came into the room with hurried steps, followed by Kollomietzev.
“What is the matter, Boris? Why have you ordered the carriage? Are you going to town? What has happened?”
Sipiagin went up to his wife and took her by the arm, between the elbow and wrist. “Il faut vous armer de courage, ma chère. Your brother has been arrested.”
“My brother? Sergai? What for?”
“He has been preaching socialism to the peasants.” (Kollomietzev gave a faint little scream.) “Yes! preaching revolutionary ideas, making propaganda! They seized him—and gave him up. He is now under arrest in the town.”
“Madman! But who told you?”
“This Mr.... Mr.... what’s his name? Mr. Konopatin brought the news.”
Valentina Mihailovna glanced at Paklin; the latter bowed dejectedly. (“What a glorious woman!” he thought. Even in such difficult moments ... alas! how susceptible Paklin was to feminine beauty!)