Page:The Novels of Ivan Turgenev (volume VI).djvu/91

Rh 'That's what it is to be young!'─Madame Sipyagin turned to Kallomyetsev; 'you and I don't care about these things now─eh?'

Kallomyetsev smiled sympathetically; he was bound to bear with the lady's jesting humour.

'Marianna Vikentyevna,' he began, 'is filled with the idealism the romanticism of youth  which in time '

'But I am slandering myself,' Madame Sipyagin interrupted: 'I take an interest in such questions too. I'm not quite elderly yet, you know.'

'And I take an interest in all such subjects,' Kallomyetsev exclaimed hurriedly; 'only I would forbid talking about it.'

'You would forbid talking about it?' Marianna repeated inquiringly.

'Yes! I would say to the public: I don't hinder your taking an interest but as for talking  hush!'─he put his finger to his lips 'any way, talking in print─I would prohibit─unconditionally!'

Madame Sipyagin laughed.

'What? You would have a commission appointed in some department to decide the question, wouldn't you?'

'And why not a commission? Do you think we should decide the question worse than all