Before they realized it they were quite close to the white wall, near the ponderous closed gates. The small gate was open. A quiet, white boy was looking at the sisters through the crevice with an inviting glance. The sisters exchanged irresolute glances.
“Shall we go in, Vetochka?”10 asked Elena.
“Yes, let’s go in,” said Elisaveta.
The sisters entered and found themselves in the garden. They found old Elikonida at the entrance. She was sitting on the bench near the small gate and was mumbling something slowly and indistinctly. Evidently no one was there to listen to her. Perhaps the old woman was talking to herself.
Old Elikonida was first engaged to nurse Kirsha; now she carried out the duties of a housekeeper. She had always been austere and never wasted a word in speaking with people. The sisters tried to draw her into conversation; they wanted to ask her things, about the ways of the house, the habits of Trirodov—they were such inquisitive girls! Elena asked many questions, although Elisaveta tried to restrain her; but they found out nothing. The old woman looked past the sisters and mumbled in answer to all questions:
“I know what I know. I have seen what I have seen.”
The quiet children approached them. They stood motionless and inanimate in the shade of the old trees, and looked at the sisters with a fixed, expressionless stare. The sisters felt uncomfortable and made haste to depart. They could hear behind them the austere mumbling of Elikonida:
“I’ve seen what I’ve seen.”
And the quiet children laughed their quiet, quiet laughter, which was truly like the sudden rustle of autumn leaves all aflutter in the air.
The sisters walked home silently. They found the right path and walked without blundering. The evening darkness was coming on. They made haste. The warm, damp earth clung to their feet and seemed to hinder their movements.
They were not far from their own house when they suddenly came upon Ostrov in the woods. He seemed to be on the lookout for something as he walked. When he saw the sisters he turned aside and stood behind the trees; then he strode forward quickly and faced them with an unexpected suddenness that made Elena shudder and Elisaveta frown. Ostrov bowed to them with derisive politeness and said:
“May I ask you something, fair ladies?”
Elisaveta surveyed him calmly and said without haste:
“What is it?”
Elena was silent with fear.
“Are you taking a walk?” asked Ostrov.
“Yes,” answered Elisaveta briefly.
“Mr. Trirodov’s house is somewhere hereabouts, unless I’m mistaken,” said Ostrov, half questioningly.
“Yes, you’ll find it by following the direction from which we came,” replied Elena.
She wanted to conquer her fear. Ostrov winked at her insolently and said:
“Thank you most humbly. And who may you be?”
“Perhaps it is not necessary that you should know,” replied Elisaveta with a half-question.
Ostrov burst into laughter and said with unpleasant familiarity:
“It may not be necessary, but it would be interesting.”
The sisters walked on rapidly, but he did not desist. They thought him repulsive. There was something alarming in his obtrusiveness.
“You evidently live hereabouts, fair ladies,” continued Ostrov; “I will therefore venture to ask you what you know about Mr. Trirodov, who interests me immensely.”
Elena laughed, perhaps somewhat dissemblingly, in order to hide her agitation and fear.
“Perhaps we don’t live hereabouts,” she said.
Ostrov whistled.
“Very likely, isn’t it, that you’ve come all the way from Moscow with your bare little feet,” he shouted angrily.
“We cannot tell you anything that can interest you,” said Elena coldly. “You had better apply to him personally. It would be more proper.”
Ostrov again burst into a sarcastic laugh and exclaimed:
“I can’t deny that that would be proper, my handsome barefoot one. But suppose he’s very busy, eh? How, then, would you advise me to get this interesting information I want?”
The sisters were silent and walked on rapidly. Ostrov persisted:
“You are of his colony? Unless I’m mistaken you are instructresses there. As far as one could judge from your light dresses and your contempt of footwear, I think I’m not mistaken, eh? Tell me, it’s an amusing life there, isn’t it?”
“No,” said Elisaveta, “we are not instructresses and we do not live there.”
“What a pity!” said Ostrov incredulously. “I might have told you something about Mr. Trirodov.”
He looked at the sisters attentively. They were silent.
“I’ve got together all sorts of information here and elsewhere,” he went on. “Curious things they tell about him, very curious indeed. And where did he get his money? In general there are many suspicious circumstances about his life.”
“Suspicious for whom?” asked Elena. “And what affair is it of ours?”
“What affair is it of yours, my charming maidens?” repeated Ostrov after her. “I have a well-founded suspicion that you are acquainted with Mr. Trirodov, and I therefore hope that you’ll tell me something about him.”
“You had better not hope,” said Elisaveta.
“And why not?” observed Ostrov in a familiar tone. “He’s an old acquaintance of mine. In years gone by we lived, drank, and roamed together. And quite suddenly I lost sight of him, and now quite as suddenly I’ve found him again. Naturally, I’m interested. As an old friend, you see!”
“Now, look here,” said Elisaveta, “we do not wish to converse with you. You had better go where you were going. We know nothing that would interest you and we have nothing to say to you.”
“So that’s it!” said Ostrov, with an insolent smile. “And now, my beauty, I’d better tell you that you’re expressing yourself a little carelessly. Suppose I whistled suddenly, eh?”
“What for?” asked Elisaveta, astonished.
“What for-r? Well, someone may come out to my whistle.”
“What then?” asked Elisaveta.
After a short silence Ostrov resumed his threatening tone:
“You may be asked to give a few details about what Mr. Trirodov is doing behind his walls.”
“Nonsense!” said Elisaveta in vexation.
“In any case, I’m only joking,” said Ostrov, suddenly changing his tone.
He was listening intently. Someone was coming towards them. The sisters recognized Piotr and walked quickly to meet him. From their haste and flustered manner Piotr understood that the man was distasteful
