Page:The Novels of Ivan Turgenev (volume XIV).djvu/181

Rh he had been very fond of, and that ever since his death she had gone up to the attic and stayed there, mewing incessantly, as though she were calling some one the neighbours were very much scared, and fancied that it was Punin's soul that had passed into the cat.

'Paramon Semyonitch is worried about something,' I said at last.

'Oh, you noticed it?'—Musa sighed. 'He cannot help being worried. I need hardly tell you that Paramon Semyonitch has remained faithful to his principles The present condition of affairs can but strengthen them.' (Musa expressed herself quite differently now from in the old days in Moscow; there was a literary, bookish flavour in her phrases.) 'I don't know, though, whether I can rely upon you, and how you will receive '

'Why should you imagine you cannot rely upon me?'

'Well, you are in the government service—you are an official.'

'Well, what of that?'

'You are, consequently, loyal to the government.'

I marvelled inwardly at Musa's innocence. 'As to my attitude to the government, which is not even aware of my existence, I won't enlarge upon that,' I observed; 'but you may set your mind at rest. I will make no bad use of your confidence. I sympathise with