“Of what?”
“Oh, of you ... of him ... and of myself.”
“And what came of all your thinking?”
“Shall I tell you?”
“Yes, tell me.”
“It seemed to me that I stood in your way—in his ... and in my own.”
“Mine? His? It’s easy to see what you mean by that, though you declare you’re not jealous, but your own?”
“Mariana, there are two men in me and one doesn’t let the other live. So I thought it might be better if both ceased to live.”
“Please don’t, Alexai. Why do you want to torment yourself and me? We ought to be considering ways and means of getting away. They won’t leave us in peace you know.”
Nejdanov took her hand caressingly.