"Oh, my friend," she said softly, "there was no use for you to come here. If they arrest you here, too, then that will be the end of Pasha altogether. It's very careless of you! They'll take you without fail if they see you here."
He clasped her hand tightly, adjusted his glasses on his nose, and bending his face close to her, explained to her in haste:
"I made an agreement with Pavel and Andrey, that if they were arrested, I must see that you move over to the city the very next day." He spoke kindly, but with a troubled air. "Did they make a search in your house?"
"They did. They rummaged, searched, and nosed around. Those people have no shame, no conscience!" exclaimed the mother indignantly.
"What do they need shame for?" said Nikolay with a shrug of his shoulders, and explained to her the necessity of her going to the city.
His friendly, solicitous talk moved and agitated her. She looked at him with a pale smile, and wondered at the kindly feeling of confidence he inspired in her.
"If Pasha wants it, and I'll be no inconvenience to you——"
"Don't be uneasy on that score. I live all alone; my sister comes over only rarely."
"I'm not going to eat my head off for nothing," she said, thinking aloud.
"If you want to work, you'll find something to do."