And the bell did ring before I had gone the length of the train. When I returned, the animated conversation between the lady and the lawyer was proceeding. The old tradesman sat silent opposite to them, looking sternly before him, and occasionally mumbled disapprovingly as if chewing something.
“Then she plainly informed her husband,” the lawyer was smilingly saying as I passed him, “that she was not able, and did not wish, to live with him since …”
He went on to say something I could not hear. Several other passengers came in after me. The guard passed, a porter hurried in, and for some time the noise made their voices inaudible. When all was quiet again the conversation had evidently turned from the particular case to general considerations.
The lawyer was saying that public opinion in Europe was occupied with the question of divorce, and that cases of “that kind” were occurring more and more often in Russia. Noticing that his was the only voice audible, he stopped his discourse and turned to the old man.
“Those things did not happen in the old days, did they?” he said, smiling pleasantly.
The old man was about to reply, but the train moved and he took off his cap, crossed himself, and whispered a prayer. The lawyer turned away his eyes and waited politely. Having finished his prayer and crossed himself three times the old man set his cap straight, pulled it well down over his forehead, changed his position, and began to speak.
“They used to happen even then, sir, but less often,” he said. “As times are now they can’t help happening. People have got too educated.”
The train moved faster and faster and jolted over the joints of the rails, making it difficult to hear, but being interested I moved nearer. The