Aratov made no reply, and went away, having provided himself with the Kazan
address.

When he was on his way to Kupfer's, excitement, bewilderment, expectation
had been reflected on his face.... Now he walked with an even gait, with
downcast eyes, and hat pulled over his brows; almost every one who met him
sent a glance of curiosity after him ... but he did not observe any one who
passed ... it was not as on the Tversky boulevard!

'Unhappy Clara! poor frantic Clara!' was echoing in his soul.


X

The following day Aratov spent, however, fairly quietly. He was even able
to give his mind to his ordinary occupations. But there was one thing:
both during his work and during his leisure he was continually thinking
of Clara, of what Kupfer had told him the evening before. It is true that
his meditations, too, were of a fairly tranquil character. He fancied
that this strange girl interested him from the psychological point of
view, as something of the nature of a riddle, the solution of which was
worth racking his brains over. 'Ran away with an actress living as a
kept mistress,' he pondered, 'put herself under the protection of that
princess, with whom she seems to have lived--and no _love affairs_'? It's
incredible!... Kupfer talked of pride! But in the first place we know'
(Aratov ought to have said: we have read in books),...'we know that pride
can exist side by side with levity of conduct; and secondly, how came she,
if she were so proud, to make an appointment with a man who might treat
her with contempt ... and did treat her with it ... and in a public place,
moreover ... in a boulevard!' At this point Aratov recalled all the scene