At least, so I judged with I believe an unbiassed mind; for
clearly my person could not be the person--and as to my ideas!...
We became excellent friends in the course of our reading. It was very
pleasant. Without fear of provoking a smile, I shall confess that I
became very much attached to that young girl. At the end of four
months I told her that now she could very well go on reading English
by herself. It was time for the teacher to depart. My pupil looked
unpleasantly surprised.
Mrs. Haldin, with her immobility of feature and kindly expression of the
eyes, uttered from her armchair in her uncertain French, "_Mais l'ami
reviendra._" And so it was settled. I returned--not four times a week
as before, but pretty frequently. In the autumn we made some short
excursions together in company with other Russians. My friendship with
these ladies gave me a standing in the Russian colony which otherwise I
could not have had.
The day I saw in the papers the news of Mr. de P---'s assassination--it
was a Sunday--I met the two ladies in the street and walked with them
for some distance. Mrs. Haldin wore a heavy grey cloak, I remember,
over her black silk dress, and her fine eyes met mine with a very quiet
expression.
"We have been to the late service," she said. "Natalka came with me.
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