I found to my own surprise that Semyonov's declaration of his engagement had not been a great shock to me, had not indeed altered very greatly the earlier situation.

But it had shown me quite clearly that my own love for Marie Ivanovna was in no way diminished, that I must protect her from a man who was, I felt, quite simply a "beastly" man.
_Well_, then if Semyonov and I were to fight it out, I would need to be at my best.

Did that little picture of the other evening show me at my best?
This business presented a bigger fight than the simple one with Semyonov.

I knew, quite clearly, as I lay on my back in the cart, that the fight against Semyonov and the fight against ...

was mingled together, depended for their issue one upon the other--that the dead men in the forest had no merely accidental connexion with Marie Ivanovna's safety and Semyonov's scornful piracies.
Well, _then_ ...