RELATIONS BETWEEN THE GIRLS AND OURSELVES
OF the girls Woloda took the strange view that, although he
wished that they should have enough to eat, should sleep well, be
well dressed, and avoid making such mistakes in French as would
shame him before strangers, he would never admit that they could
think or feel like human beings, still less that they could
converse with him sensibly about anything. Whenever they
addressed to him a serious question (a thing, by the way, which
he always tried to avoid), such as asking his opinion on a novel
or inquiring about his doings at the University, he invariably
pulled a grimace, and either turned away without speaking or
answered with some nonsensical French phrase--"Comme c'est tres
jolie!" or the like. Or again, feigning to look serious a
