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Show 44 TIIlC lMlIK l-‘(lll EST THE SCHOOL-HOUSE He looked about him. then said, hesitating: that is . . . I don‘t know what I expeeted." "No ... a certain reason. A curved moon. dull gold like buried treasure. rose slowly above the hill: one white star lliekered and the scents of the little gardens that lined the road grew thicker in the air as the day faded. He got very excited when he talked to me and asked me whether I thought it would all be very terrible." "He is a nervous fussy little man. Russians are not cov'ards, but Andrey Vassilievitch lost his wife last year. I was conscious of some restraint \vith Trenehard: "He's probably wishing." I thought, "that he'd not been so ex- He was very devoted to lierwvery. pansive last night. her." He. is miserable with- out her, they say. Perhaps he has come to the war to forget He doesn't trust me." Once he said abruptly: "They‘ll give me . . . won't they . . . work to do? It would be terrible it there wasn't work. I'm not so . . . so stupid at bandaging. I learnt a lot in the hospital and although I'm clumsy with my hands generally I'm not so clumsy about that " "Why of course," I answered. "IVhen there's work they'll be only too delighted. work. 45 But there won't always be You must be prepared for that. Sometimes our Division is in reserve and then we're in reserve too. times for so much as a fortnight. Some- When I was out here before I was in one place for more than two months. You must just take everything as it comes." "I want to work," he said. "I must." Once again only he spoke: "That little fat man who travelled with us. . . ." "Andrey Vassilievitch," I said. "Yes. . . . IIe interests me. You knew him before?" "Yes. I've known him slightly for some years." "What has he come for? He's frightened out of his life." "Frightened?" I was surprised at Trenehard's interest; I had thought him so wrapt in his own especial atl'air that nothing outside it could occupy him. But he eontinued: "He knew the tall doctor-Nikitinibefore, didn't he?" "Yes. . . . Nikitin knew his wife." "Oh, I see. . . . Nikitin seems to despise him~~I think he despises all of us." "011 no. That's only his manner. Many Russians look as though they were despisingr their neighbours when. as a matter of fact, they‘re really despising themselves. 'l'heyH‘o very fond of despising themselves: their contempt allows them to do what they want to." "I don't think Nikitin despises himself. 110 looks too happy-at least, happy is not the word. Perhaps triumph- ant is vvhat I mean." "Ah, if you begin speculating about Russian expression you‘re lost. They express so much in their l'aei-s that you think you know all their deepest feelings. lint theyh'e not their deep feelings that you see. ()nly their <piiek transient He says that he's very nervous emotions that change every moment." I fancied, just at that time, that I had studied the llussian character very intently and it was perhaps agreeable to me to air my knowledge before an Englishman who had (tome to liussia for the first time so recently. but that he must do everything that every one else does-for But Trenehard did not seem to be greatly impressed by "Yes, he. himself told me. |