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See for yourselves." Vera pushed pearls and diamonds into a heap with a declaration that she needed very little. This only angered Tatiana Markovna, who began the work of division all over again. Raisky sent to his former guardian for the diamonds and silver that had been his mother's portion, and bestowed these also on the sisters, but his aunt hid the treasure in the depths of her coffers.
In the morning, after coffee, when she had given her orders for the farm, Tatiana Markovna sat down at her bureau to her accounts, then sat by the window and looked out into the field, watched the labourers, saw what was going on in the yard, and sent Yakob or Vassilissa when there was anything of which she disapproved.
"How did you come to be made of quicksilver?" said Tatiana Markovna, affectionately. "Your late father was serious, never talked at random, and even disaccustomed your mother from laughter!" "Ah, Marfa Vassilievna," broke in Vikentev. "I have brought you some music and a new novel." "Where are they?" "I left them in the boat. That's the fault of the carp. I will go and fetch them now."
"Something is wrong with Vera," said Tatiana Markovna, shaking her grey head as she saw how grimly he avoided her questioning glance. "What can it be?" asked Raisky negligently, with an effort to assume indifference. "Something is wrong, Borushka. She looks so melancholy and is so silent, and often seems to have tears in her eyes.
Tatiana Markovna, however, said he might come at Christmas, and by that time perhaps circumstances would permit him to stay. In the meantime, he accepted Tushin's invitation to be his guest at "Smoke." The gossip about Vera had given ground to the universal expectation of her marriage with Tushin.
You will be addressing me as Tatiana Markovna next! Kiss one another. Are you not brother and sister?" "I won't, Grandmama. He is teasing me about the goose. It is not polite to spy on people," she said severely. Everybody laughed. Raisky kissed her on both cheeks, embraced her, and overcame her confusion. She kissed him in return, and her shyness vanished.
She did not take her eyes from Vera, and when Vera opened her own an hour later Tatiana Markovna was still looking fixedly at her. "Can't you sleep, Vera?" "No." "Why?" "Why do you punish me in the night too, Grandmother?" asked Vera in a low tone. The two women looked at one another and both seemed to understand the speech in their eyes.
"Thank you, I am already quite hungry," said Vera quickly, without knowing what she said. Tatiana Markovna kissed her, and stroked her hair, remarking casually that one of the maids should come and do her room, as she might have a visitor. Tatiana Markovna returned sadly to the house.
Vassilissa undressed her, wrapped her in warm sheets, rubbed her hands and feet with spirit, and then gave her some warm wine to drink. The doctor prescribed for her, but said that it was most important of all that she should not be disturbed, but should be allowed to sleep. An incautious word that Tatiana Markovna was ill reached Vera's ears.
"I have bought tickets for the charity concert, for you and Mama, for Vera Vassilievna and Marfa Vassilievna and for Boris Pavlovich. It's a splendid concert ... the first singer in Moscow...." "Why do we need to go to concerts?" interrupted Tatiana Markovna, looking at him sideways. "The nightingales sing so finely here. In the evening we go into the garden, and can hear them for nothing."
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