those men who meant to rob him of his beloved; moreover, his good looks
annoyed him.

"No, not in the least too far," he retorted. "To appear half nude on
the stage and in some voluptuous scene exhibit one's personal charms to
those who in an hour or so take their leave as they would of some
courtesan after paying the usual fee! A charming career indeed!"

"My friend," said Sanine, "every woman in the first instance likes to
be admired for her personal charms."

Novikoff shrugged his shoulders irritably.

"What a silly, coarse statement!" said he.

"At any rate, coarse or not, it's the truth," replied Sanine. "Lida
would be most effective on the stage, and I should like to see her
there."

Although in the others this speech roused a certain instinctive
curiosity, they all felt ill at ease. Sarudine, who thought himself
more intelligent and tactful than the rest, deemed it his duty to
dispel this vague feeling of embarrassment.

"Well, what do you think the young lady ought to do? Get married?
Pursue a course of study, or let her talent be lost? That would be a
crime against nature that had endowed her with its fairest gift."

"Oh!" exclaimed Sanine, with undisguised sarcasm, "till now the idea of
such a crime had never entered my head."