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136 "I will tell you everything on our way; let us go!"

Here they are! they have passed through the long corridors into the church, they have found the sexton, they have sent for Mertsálof; Mertsálof lived in the house where the endless corridors were.

"Now, Viérotchka, I have to ask of you still another favor. You know that they make young couples kiss each other in church?"

"Yes, my mílenki; only how ridiculous it is!"

"Well, lest it should be too ridiculous then, let us kiss each other now."

"Very well, let us kiss each other; but could it not be done without it?"

"Yes, but it is impossible to get along without it in church; so let us prepare ourselves."

They kissed each other.

"Mílenki, it is well that we have had time to prepare ourselves; here comes the sexton; now it will not seem so ridiculous in church!"

But it was not the sexton who came—the sexton did not come till after the diakŏn; it was Kirsánof, who had been waiting for them at Mertsálof's.

"Viérotchka, this is Aleksandr Matvéitch Kirsánof, whom you do not like, and whom you have forbidden me to meet."

"Viéra Pavlovna, what is the reason that you want to separate our tender hearts?"

"For the very reason that they are tender," said Viérotchka, giving Kirsánof her hand and still smiling; then she fell into thought. "But shall I be able to love him as well as you do? You love him very dearly, don't you?"

"I? I love no one but myself, Viéra Pavlovna!"

"And you don't love him?"

"We have lived together, and we have never quarrelled; isn't that enough?"

"And hasn't he loved you either?"

"I never observed anything of the sort. However, let us ask him.—Have you ever loved me, Dmitri?"

"I never particularly despised you!"

"Well, if that is the case, Aleksandr Matvéitch, I shall not forbid your meeting, and I myself will love you!"

"Now that is much better, Viéra Pavlovna."

"And now, I, too, am ready," said Alekséi Petróvitch, coming in. "Let us go into the church." Alekséi