The chief physician was passing at the time, and, hearing the sound of the breaking glass, and seeing Maslova running out, all flushed, he angrily shouted to her: 

“Well, girl, if you begin to flirt here, I will send you back.  What is the matter?” he turned to the assistant, sternly looking over his spectacles.

The assistant, smiling, began to apologize.  The doctor, without hearing him to the last, raised his head so that he began to look through the glasses, and walked into the ward.  On the same day he asked the inspector to send a more sedate nurse in place of Maslova.  Maslova’s expulsion from the hospital on the ground of flirting was particularly painful to her by reason of the fact that, after her meeting with Nekhludoff, all association with men, which had been so repugnant to her, became even more disgusting.

The fact that, judging her by her past and present condition, everybody, including the pimpled assistant, thought that they had the right to insult her, and were surprised when she refused their attentions, was very painful to her and called forth her tears and pity for herself.  Now, coming out to see Nekhludoff, she wished to explain the injustice of the charge which he had probably heard.  But as she attempted to do so, she felt that he would not believe her; that her explanation would only tend to corroborate the suspicion, and her tears welled up in her throat, and she became silent.

Maslova was still thinking, and continued to assure herself that, as she had told him on his second visit, she had not forgiven him; that she hated him, but, in reality, she had long since begun to love him again, and loved him so that she involuntarily carried out his wishes.  She ceased to drink and smoke, she gave up flirting, and willingly went as servant to the hospital.  All this she did because she knew he wished it.  Her repeated refusal to accept his sacrifice was partly due to the fact that she wished to repeat those proud words which she had once told him, and mainly because she knew that their marriage would make him unhappy.  She was firmly resolved not to accept his sacrifice, and yet it was painful for her to think that he despised her; that he thought her to be the same as she had been, and did not see the change she was undergoing.  The fact that he was at that moment thinking that she did something wrong in the hospital pained her more than the news that she was finally sentenced to hard labor.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Maslova might be sent away with the first party of exiles; hence Nekhludoff was preparing for departure.  But he had so many things to attend to that he felt that he could never get through with them, no matter how much time there might be left for preparations.  It was different in former times.  Then it was necessary to devise something to do, and the interest in all his affairs centered in Dmitri Ivanovich Nekhludoff.  But though all interest in life centered in Dmitri Ivanovich, he always suffered from ennui.  Now, however, all his affairs related to people other than Dmitri Ivanovich, and were all interesting and attractive, as well as inexhaustible.