The Schoolmaster and other stories - Penn State University

The Schoolmaster & other storiesFor a minute Sasha looked at her in astonishment; atlast he understood and was delighted as a child. Hewaved his arms and began pattering with his slippers asthough he were dancing with delight.“Splendid,” he said, rubbing his hands. “My goodness,how fine that is!”And she stared at him without blinking, with adoringeyes, as though spellbound, expecting every minute thathe would say something important, something infinitelysignificant; he had told her nothing yet, but already itseemed to her that something new and great was openingbefore her which she had not known till then, andalready she gazed at him full of expectation, ready toface anything, even death.“I am going to-morrow,” he said after a moment’sthought. “You come to the station to see me off…. I’lltake your things in my portmanteau, and I’ll get yourticket, and when the third bell rings you get into the carriage,and we’ll go off. You’ll see me as far as Moscow andthen go on to Petersburg alone. Have you a passport?”“Yes.”“I can promise you, you won’t regret it,” said Sasha,with conviction. “You will go, you will study, and thengo where fate takes you. When you turn your life upsidedown everything will be changed. The great thing is toturn your life upside down, and all the rest is unimportant.And so we will set off to-morrow?”“Oh yes, for God’s sake!”It seemed to Nadya that she was very much excited,that her heart was heavier than ever before, that shewould spend all the time till she went away in miseryand agonizing thought; but she had hardly gone upstairsand lain down on her bed when she fell asleep at once,with traces of tears and a smile on her face, and sleptsoundly till evening.VA CAB had been sent for. Nadya in her hat and overcoatwent upstairs to take one more look at her mother, atall her belongings. She stood in her own room beside her46