'What God wills. It's hard to forecast the future.'

For a while Elena did not take her eyes off Bersenyev.

'You have greatly interested me by what you have told me,' she said.
'What is he like, this friend of yours; what did you call him,
Insarov?'

'What shall I say? To my mind, he's good-looking. But you will see
him for yourself.'

'How so?'

'I will bring him here to see you. He is coming to our little village
the day after tomorrow, and is going to live with me in the same
lodging.'

'Really? But will he care to come to see us?'

'I should think so. He will be delighted.'

'He isn't proud, then?'

'Not the least. That's to say, he is proud if you like, only not in
the sense you mean. He will never, for instance, borrow money from
any one.'

'Is he poor?'

'Yes, he isn't rich. When he went to Bulgaria he collected some relics