Sipiagin, on the contrary, expressed the most liberal views, refuted Kollomietzev's arguments politely, though with a certain amount of disdain, and even chaffed him a little.
"Your terror of emancipation, my dear Simion Petrovitch," he said, "puts me in mind of our much respected friend, Alexai Ivanovitch Tveritinov, and the petition he sent in, in the year 1860.He insisted on reading it in every drawing room in St.
Petersburg.There was one rather good sentence in it about our liberated serf, who was to march over the face of the fatherland bearing a torch in his hand.You should have seen our dear Alexai Ivanovitch, blowing out his cheeks and blinking his little eyes, pronounce in his babyish voice, 'T-torch! t-torch! Will march with a t-torch!' Well, the emancipation is now an established fact, but where is the peasant with the torch?
"Tveritinov was only slightly wrong," Kollomietzev said solemnly.
"Not the peasants will march with the torch, but others."At the words, Nejdanov, who until then had scarcely noticed Mariana, who sat a little to one side, exchanged glances with her, and instantly felt that this solemn girl and he were of the same convictions, of the same stamp.She had made no impression on him whatever when Sipiagin had introduced them; then why did he exchange glances with her in particular? He wondered if it was not disgraceful to sit and listen to such views without protesting and by reason of his silence letting others think that he shared them.Nejdanov looked at Mariana a second time, and her eyes seemed to say, "Wait a while...the time is not ripe.It isn't worth it...later on...there is plenty of time in store."He was happy to think that she understood him, and began following the conversation again.Valentina Mihailovna supported her husband, and was, if anything, even more radical in her expressions than he.She could not understand, "simply could not un-der-stand, how an educated young man could hold such antiquated views.""However," she added, "I am convinced that you only say these things for the sake of argument.And you, Alexai Dmitritch," she added to Nejdanov, with a smile (he wondered how she had learned his Christian name and his father's name), "I know, do not share Simion Petrovitch's fears; my husband told me about your talks on the journey."Nejdanov blushed, bent over his plate, and mumbled something; he did not feel shy, but was simply unaccustomed to conversing with such brilliant personages.Madame Sipiagin continued smiling to him; her husband nodded his head patronisingly.Kollomietzev stuck his monocle between his eyebrow and nose and stared at the student who dared not to share his "fears." But it was difficult to embarrass Nejdanov in this way; on the contrary, he instantly sat up straight, and in his turn fixed his gaze on the fashionable official.Just as instinctively as he had felt Mariana to be a comrade, so he felt Kollomietzev to be an enemy!
Kollomietzev felt it too; he removed his monocle, turned away, and tried to laugh carelessly--but it did not come off somehow.
Only Anna Zaharovna, who secretly worshipped him, was on his side, and became even angrier than before with the unwelcome neighbour separating her from Kolia.
Soon after this dinner came to an end.The company went out on the terrace to drink coffee.Sipiagin and Kollomietzev lit up cigars.Sipiagin offered Nejdanov a regalia, but the latter refused.
"Why, of course!" Sipiagin exclaimed; "I've forgotten that you only smoke your own particular cigarettes!
"A curious taste!" Kollomietzev muttered between his teeth.
