inward whistle, 'Ah-ha, aha!' and promptly vanished. He ran to warn Solomin.
Marianna had not reappeared when Solomin came into Nezhdanov's room. He was standing with his face to the window, his forehead resting on his arm, and his arm on the window-pane. Solomin touched him on the shoulder. He turned quickly round. Dishevelled and unwashed, Nezhdanov had a wild and strange look. Though indeed Solomin too had changed of late. He had grown yellow, his face looked drawn, his upper teeth were slightly visible. . . . He too seemed unhinged, so far as his 'well-balanced' nature could be.
'So Markelov could not control himself,' he began; 'this may turn out badly, for him chiefly . . . and for others too.'
'I want to go and see what's going on. . .' observed Nezhdanov.
'And I too,' added Marianna, making her appearance in the doorway.
Solomin turned slowly to her.
'I would not advise you to, Marianna. You might betray yourself and us; without meaning to and utterly needlessly. Let Nezhdanov go and see what's in the air a little, if he likes. . . and the less of that the better!—but why should you?'
'I don't like to stay behind when he goes.'
148
