“Nobody ought to speak to me like that!” she said huskily.
“Anyhow, I’ve done so!” replied Sanine, recovering his good temper, and resuming his pen.
“You’ve had your share of life,” he said, “and you’ve no right to prevent Lida from having hers.”
Maria Ivanovna said nothing, but stared in amazement at her son, while her cap looked droller than ever.
She hastily checked all memories of her past youth with its joyous nights of love, fixing upon this one question in her mind. “How dare he speak thus to his mother?” Yet before she could come to any decision, Sanine turned round, and taking her hand said kindly:
“Don’t let that worry you, but, you must keep Sarudine out of the house, for the fellow’s quite capable of playing us a dirty trick.”
Maria Ivanovna was at once appeased.
“God bless you, my boy,” she said. “I am very glad, for I have always liked Sacha Novikoff. Of course, we can’t receive Sarudine; it wouldn’t do, because of Sacha.”
“No, just that! Because of Sacha,” said Sanine with a humorous look in his eyes.
“And where is Lida?” asked his mother.