Valentina Mihailovna looked at Mariana.
“I haven’t noticed it,” she said after a pause.
“Yes,” Kollomietzev continued pensively, “he was rather overlooked at Easter.”
Valentina Mihailovna indicated Mariana with her eyes.
Kollomietzev smiled and screwed up his eyes, conveying to her that he understood. “Mariana Vikentievna,” he exclaimed suddenly, in an unnecessarily loud tone of voice, “do you intend teaching at the school again this year?”
Mariana turned round from the cage.
“Are you interested to know, Simion Petrovitch?”
“Certainly. I am very much interested.”
“Would you forbid it?”
“I would forbid nihilists even so much as to think of schools. I would put all schools into the hands of the clergy, and with an eye on them I wouldn’t mind running one myself!”