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Each day, however, as it passed, brought nothing but boredom. Once or twice Novikoff and Schafroff came to see him. Yourii also attended lectures and paid visits, yet all this seemed to him empty and aimless. It was not what he sought, or fancied that he sought. One day he went to see Riasantzeff.
"Yes, yes, I do," replied Sanine, "I swear that I do; and if you'll promise not to attack me with your old boot, I will prove what I say. Promise?" "Yes, yes! Forgive me, Volodja!" said Novikoff, calling Sanine by his first name which he had never done before. This touched Sanine, and he felt the more anxious to help his friend.
Readers of the Princess Lieven's letters to Earl Grey will recall the part played by that able ambassadress in keeping this country neutral through the crisis of 1828-9; to her Madame Novikoff has been likened, and probably with truth, by the Turkish Press both English and Continental. She was accused in 1876 of playing on the religious side of Mr.
Turning on his heel, he walked swiftly away, and for a moment they watched his white shirt as he disappeared in the gloom. So great was the silence that they could hardly believe that he had gone farther than the shadow of the surrounding trees. "Lidia Petrovna," said Novikoff gently, in a voice so sad and touching that it went to her heart. "Poor fellow," she thought, "how good he is."
"In what way is it complicated? You are a young, good-looking, healthy man; what more do you want?" "In my opinion that is not enough," replied Novikoff, with mild irony. "Really!" laughed Sanine. "Well, I think it is a very great deal." "But not enough for me," said Novikoff, laughing in his turn.
The echo of her voice across the river Hounded charming. "I must go," said Sanine, after a pause. "Where are you going?" asked Novikoff. "Svarogitsch and that officer who admires Tolstoi, what's his name? a lanky German fellow, have called for me." "You mean Von Deitz," said Lida, laughing. "That's the man. They wanted us all to come with them to a meeting, but I said that you were not at home."
Novikoff strove to avoid continuing the discussion, being afraid that Sanine might return to the subject which for personally was the most interesting in the whole world. Anything that did not concern Lida seemed le to him dull. "And where is Lidia Petrovna?" he asked mechanically, albeit loth to utter the question that was uppermost in his mind. "Lida? Where should she be?
The jingling ceased, and Riasantzeff appeared, looking fresh and hearty, as usual. "Ah!" he exclaimed in a cheery voice, being evidently accustomed to events such as that which saddened his visitors. "I am on duty to-day. How do you do, ladies?" Yet, frowning suddenly, he added with grave significance, "He seems to be still unconscious. Let us go to him. Novikoff and the others are there."
Novikoff turned round trembling. "I must ask you to stop making such stupid jokes!" he said in a shrill, hard voice. It rang out through the dusk, and echoed among the dreaming garden-trees. "Why so furious?" asked Sanine. "Look here!" began Novikoff hoarsely. In his eyes there was such an expression of rage that Sanine scarcely recognized him.
Years afterwards, somewhere in the 'nineties, I happened to sit beside Madame Novikoff at a luncheon party in Mayfair. "I believe you know my great friend, Stead?" she said, by way of opening our conversation at the table. I told her I had known him for many years. "And what do you think of him?" she asked, with an air of innocent curiosity that sat well upon her guileless countenance.
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