'I know he only stayed a quarter of an hour; I saw when he came out. And I'm not jealous, oh, no! But still, I couldn't get to sleep, after that.'
'Why?'
Nezhdanov did not speak.
'I kept thinking . . . thinking . . . thinking!'
'What about?'
'You . . . and him . . . and myself.'
'And what conclusion did you come to?'
'Must I tell you, Marianna?'
'Yes, tell me.'
'I thought that I'm in your way. . . and his . . . and my own.'
'Mine? his? I can fancy what you mean by that, though you do declare you're not jealous. But your own?'
'Marianna, there are two men in me, and one won't let the other live. So that I suppose in fact it would be better for both to cease to live.'
'Come, hush, Alexey, please! What makes you want to torture yourself and me? We ought to be considering now what steps we must take.. . . They won't leave us in peace, you know.'
Nezhdanov took her hand affectionately.
'Sit beside me, Marianna, and let us talk a little, like friends. While there is still time.
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