In time we got into the habit of observing them very punctiliously,
even after we had made ourselves at home in Anna's house. But over
and above all Jacob never gave up preaching to me that it was wrong
on the part of an oppressed Jew to accept favors from a non-Jew.
And this he preached without ever noticing that he was himself
giving in to temptation when he accepted favors and kindnesses from
Anna. As to Marusya, he always found a pretext to separate us
whenever he met me in her company. I was very angry with him for
that, but I could not tell him so openly. At last it came to such a
pass that Marusya lost all patience, and made me the scapegoat. She
stopped having anything to do with me.

Now that was a real misfortune as far as I was concerned. For only
then did I come to realize how much I was attached to the girl. I
felt an utter emptiness in my heart; I began to feel myself a total
stranger in the house. When everybody was talking merrily, I kept
quiet, as if I were a mourner. I was always looking for Marusya, I
was always trying to catch her eye. I hoped that our eyes would
meet, that she would at least look at me. But she kept on avoiding
me. No, she did not avoid me: she simply did not seem to know that
I was in the house. I was exasperated; and when once I came face to
face with Jacob, I lost my temper, and berated him roundly,
attacking him on his weakest side:

"Is it on me that you are spying? How many favors, if you please,
have you accepted yourself from Anna? Perhaps your father gave you
a special dispensation in your dreams?"

To all of this Jacob replied very calmly: "First of all, your
analogy does not hold, for you and Marusya are both youngsters.