whether she was laughing at him or speaking seriously, and only said to himself: 'Oh, I can see one has to mind what one's about with you!'
A man-servant came in with a Russian samovar, tea-things, cream, biscuits, etc., on a big tray; he set all these good things on the table between Sanin and Madame Polozov, and retired.
She poured him out a cup of tea. 'You don't object? ' she queried, as she put sugar in his cup with her fingers . . . though sugar-tongs were lying close by.
'Oh, please! . . . From such a lovely hand . . .'
He did not finish his phrase, and almost choked over a sip of tea, while she watched him attentively and brightly.
'I spoke of a moderate price for my land,' he went on, ' because as you are abroad just now, I can hardly suppose you have a great deal of cash available, and in fact, I feel myself that the sale . . . the purchase of my land, under such conditions is something exceptional, and I ought to take that into consideration.'
Sanin got confused, and lost the thread of what he was saying, while Maria Nikolaevna softly leaned back in her easy-chair, folded her arms, and watched him with the same attentive bright look. He was silent at last.
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