Nikolay replied he could not be false to his word, and his father, sighing and visibly embarrassed, quickly cut short the conversation and went in to the countess.

• 尼古拉回答，说他决不能违背自己的诺言，于是父亲叹了一口气，看来他感到困惑不安，很快就停止讲话，到伯爵夫人那里去了。