- You see, if your love for Marina was successful, as it is commonly called, it would quickly end up, and you, with your restless soul of a poet, with a clear conscience, would rush to other shores. Misfortune taught you loyalty. I, of course, did not expect such a development of the plot, well, well, the plot is not bad. I would not want to watch another one, as you would have achieved your goal, and then left her alone.
- And who said that?.. So you took care of her in advance?
- Yes, I took care of you in advance. About both of you. It would be correct to say like that.
- Listen, Vlad, you think too much! It's harmful to think too much. One harm from you! - and he laughed, almost through tears. - But you yourself are partly to blame that I have become like this! You should have been more compliant, and you - from the age of seventeen went in the lock! Well, what does it look like?! - Vladimir, who had been attentively observing Vasily throughout the conversation, canceled the already familiar property in him - an easy and instantaneous transition from laughter to tears and back, like in children.
“Like Marina! - He added to himself. - How sensitive they are, these talented people. Poor, poor! How hard it is for them to live this life!" And as if in response to his reflections, Vasily instantly became serious:
- Do you remember we had a cinema near our house at Varshavsky railway station, and the same films were shown there several times. I really liked watching the fairy tale "Ruslan and Lyudmila". For some reason, the opening scene is especially engraved in my memory: a wedding feast, the young couple is escorted to the bedchamber and left alone. Such a wonderful moment is coming - and... that's it! This whirlwind through the window - and Lyudmila is gone. Doesn't this plot remind you something? And it reminds me very much, because that summer, in Crimea, I experienced the same thing in full and in details.
- Let say I hurt you. Perhaps I can heal you. Let's reason like this: let's say that Marina has never been in your life, well, you haven't met - that's all. You didn’t leave St. Petersburg or she entered another university. You have a prosperous family, son, if God's willing, not the last, you have an interesting work, exciting hobby, you write poetry and songs, perform, meet friends in camps, everything is transparent, everything is so good and wonderful, so cloudless... ? Do you now have the feeling that something is missing? Or is it still better when somewhere out there, beyond the rivers, behind the valleys, behind the high mountains she lives, carried away by an unknown force called fate, and you are connected with her by some invisible threads and some kind of secret, and you know that there are things that she, same like you, cannot forget. At the same time, she is also an artist, and recently - no one knows about this yet - she also composes music for her paintings, which will sound at exhibitions... and you - you have grown, you have become different... You have become a good human, Vasily, a real man, and I am very pleased to inform you about this. Well, how did you feel now? better?..
- Aren't you jealous? - Vasily asked suddenly.
Vladimir looked at him with interest, not in the least discouraged by this impudent question, and satisfaction flashed in his intelligent calm eyes.
- Yes, of course, - he answered sincerely, - but this is my share of pepper in the story...
"From Eternal Points of View"