your love will give me? О Irina, in your love there 's a whole world for me, and I can't yet foresee myself what may develop from it.'
Irina grew thoughtful.
'Where are we going?' she whispered.
'Where? We will talk of that later. But, of course, then . . . then you agree? you agree, Irina?'
She looked at him. 'And you will be happy?'
'О Irina!'
'You will regret nothing? Never?'
She bent over the cardboard box, and again began looking over the lace in it.
'Don't be angry with me, dear one, for attending to this trash at such a moment. . . . I am obliged to go to a ball at a certain lady's, these bits of finery have been sent me, and I must choose to-day. Ah! I am awfully wretched!' she cried suddenly, and she laid her face down on the edge of the box. Tears began falling again from her eyes. . . . She turned away; the tears might spoil the lace.
'Irina, you are crying again,' Litvinov began uneasily.
'Ah, yes, again,' Irina interposed hurriedly. 'О Grigory, don't torture me, don't torture yourself! . . . Let us be free people! What does it matter it I do cry! And indeed do I know myself why my tears are flowing? You know, you have heard my decision, you believe
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