Page:The Novels of Ivan Turgenev (volume VII).djvu/82

Rh 'Supposing the revolution is still far off there are preparatory steps to be taken, work to be done, impossible in this house, in these surroundings, to which we should go so eagerly together  you point them out to us, you only tell us where we are to go. Send us! You will send us, won't you?'

'Where?'

'To the peasants. Where should we go, if not to the people?'

'Into the forest,' thought Nezhdanov. Paklin's saying recurred to his mind. Solomin looked intently at Marianna.

'You want to get to know the people?'

'Yes; that is, we don't only want to get to know the people, but to influence to work for them.'

'Very good; I promise you, you shall get to know them. I will give you a chance of influencing them and working for them. And you, Nezhdanov, are ready to go for her  and for them?'

'Of course I am ready,' he declared hurriedly. 'Juggernaut,' another saying of Paklin's, recurred to him; 'here it comes rolling along, the huge chariot and I hear the crash and rumble of its wheels.'

'Very good,' Solomin repeated thoughtfully. 'But when do you intend to run away?'