Meanwhile his irritation at Marie Ivanovna's kindness to Trenchard
increased with every hour. His attitude to the man had changed since
Trenchard's night at the Position; he was vexed, I think, to hear that
the fellow had proved himself a man--and a practical man with common
sense. Semyonov was honest about this. He did not doubt Nikitin's
word, he even congratulated Trenchard, but he certainly disliked him
more than ever. He thought, I suppose, as he had thought about
Nikitin: "How can a man with his wits about him be at the same time
such a fool?" And then he saw that Marie Ivanovna was delighted with
Trenchard's little piece of good luck. She laughed at Semyonov about
it. "We all know you're a very brave man," she cried. "But you're not
so brave as Mr." And Semyonov, because he knew that Trenchard was a
fool and that he himself was not, was vexed, as a bull is vexed by a
red flag. These things made him think a great deal about Trenchard. I
have seen him watching him with angry and puzzled gaze as though he
would satisfy himself why this gnat of a man worried him!
Then, finally, was Andrey Vassilievitch.
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