University of Virginia Library

3. CHAPTER III.

I RESUMED mine, also. The lawyer and the
lady whispered together. I was sitting beside
Posdnicheff, and I maintained silence. I desired
to talk to him, but I did not know how to begin,
and thus an hour passed until we reached the
next station. There the lawyer and the lady
went out, as well as the clerk. We were left
alone, Posdnicheff and I.

"They say it, and they lie, or they do not
understand," said Posdnicheff.

"Of what are you talking?"

"Why, still the same thing."

He leaned his elbows upon his knees, and
pressed his hands against his temples.

"Love, marriage, family,—all lies, lies, lies."

He rose, lowered the lamp-shade, lay down
with his elbows on the cushion, and closed his
eyes. He remained thus for a minute.

"Is it disagreeable to you to remain with me,
now that you know who I am?"

"Oh, no."

"You have no desire to sleep?"

"Not at all."

"Then do you want me to tell you the story
of my life?"

Just then the conductor passed. He followed
him with an ill-natured look, and did not begin
until he had gone again. Then during all the
rest of the story he did not stop once. Even the
new travellers as they entered did not stop him.

His face, while he was talking, changed sev-
eral times so completely that it bore positively
no resemblance to itself as it had appeared just
before. His eyes, his mouth, his moustache, and
even his beard, all were new. Each time it was
a beautiful and touching physiognomy, and
these transformations were produced suddenly
in the penumbra; and for five minutes it was
the same face, that could not be compared to
that of five minutes before. And then, I know
not how, it changed again, and became unrecog-
nizable.