She came across to me.

We talked of unimportant things for a while.

Then she said: "I'm very happy, Mr.
Durward....

Be kind about it.

Alexei Petrovitch and I...." She hesitated.
I looked at her and saw that she was again the young and helpless girl whom I had not seen since that early morning before our first battle.
I said, very lamely, "If you are happy, Marie Ivanovna, I am glad." "You think it terrible of me," she said swiftly.