The next morning Kister went to call on the Perekatovs. When they met,
Kister noticed a great change in Masha, and Masha, too, found a change
in him, but neither spoke of it. The whole morning they both, contrary
to their habit, felt uncomfortable. Kister had prepared at home a number
of hints and phrases of double meaning and friendly counsels... but all
this previous preparation turned out to be quite thrown away. Masha was
vaguely aware that Kister was watching her; she fancied that he
pronounced some words with intentional significance; but she was
conscious, too, of her own excitement, and did not trust her own
observations. 'If only he doesn't mean to stay till evening!' was what
she was thinking incessantly, and she tried to make him realise that he
was not wanted. Kister, for his part, took her awkwardness and her
uneasiness for obvious signs of love, and the more afraid he was for her
the more impossible he found it to speak of Lutchkov; while Masha
obstinately refrained from uttering his name. It was a painful
experience for poor Fyodor Fedoritch. He began at last to understand his
own feelings. Never had Masha seemed to him more charming. She had, to
all appearances, not slept the whole night. A faint flush stood in
patches on her pale face; her figure was faintly drooping; an
unconscious, weary smile never left her lips; now and then a shiver ran
over her white shoulders; a soft light glowed suddenly in her eyes, and
quickly faded away. Nenila Makarievna came in and sat with them, and
possibly with intention mentioned Avdey Ivanovitch. But in her mother's
presence Masha was armed _jusqu'aux dents,_ as the French say, and
she did not betray herself at all. So passed the whole morning.
'You will dine with us?' Nenila Makarievna asked Kister.
Masha turned away.
'No,' Kister said hurriedly, and he glanced towards Masha. 'Excuse me...
duties of the service...'
Nenila Makarievna duly expressed her regret. Mr. Perekatov, following
her lead, also expressed something or other. 'I don't want to be in the
way,' Kister wanted to say to Masha, as he passed her, but he bowed down
and whispered instead: 'Be happy... farewell... take care of
yourself...' and was gone.
Masha heaved a sigh from the bottom of her heart, and then felt
panic-stricken at his departure. What was it fretting her? Love or
curiosity? God knows; but, we repeat, curiosity alone was enough to
ruin Eve.