They beg you to
come back.... Vera and Nicholas too. They simply won't know what to do
without you. Vera says that you have been angry with her. She doesn't
know why, but she says that she will do her very best if you come back,
so that you won't be angry any more.... Nina, dear, you know that it is
they whom you really love. You never can be happy here. You know that
you cannot.... Come back to them! Come back! I don't know what it was
that Alexei Petrovitch said to you, but whatever it was you should not
listen to it. He is a bad man and only means harm to your family. He
does indeed...."
I paused. She had never moved whilst I was speaking. Now she only said,
shaking her head, "It's no good, Ivan Andreievitch.... It's no good."
"But why? Why?" I asked. "Give me your reasons, Nina."
She answered proudly, "I don't see why I should give you any reasons,
Ivan Andreievitch. I am free. I can do as I wish."
"There's something behind this that I don't know," I said. "I ought to
know.... It isn't fair not to tell me. What did Alexei Petrovitch say to
you?"
But she only shook her head.
"He had nothing to do with this.
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