Sanine

It was already quite dark when the others returned from their walk.

Their clear, merry voices rang out through the soft dusk that veiled

the garden. Lida ran, flushed and laughing, to her mother. She brought

with her cool scents from the river that blended delightfully with the

fragrance of her own sweet youth and beauty which the companionship of

sympathetic admirers heightened and enhanced.

"Supper, mamma, let's have supper!" she cried playfully dragging her

mother along. "Meanwhile Victor Sergejevitsch is going to sing

something to us."

Maria Ivanovna, as she went out to get supper ready, thought to herself

that Fate could surely have nothing but happiness in store for so

beautiful and charming a girl as her darling Lida.

Sarudine and Tanaroff went to the piano in the drawing-room, while Lida

reclined lazily in the rocking-chair on the veranda. Novikoff, mute,

walked up and down on the creaking boards of the veranda floor,

furtively glancing at Lida's face, at her firm, full bosom, at her

little feet shod in yellow shoes, and her dainty ankles. But she took

no heed of him nor of his glances, so enthralled was she by the might

and magic of a first passion. She shut her eyes, and smiled at her

thoughts.

In Novikoff's soul there was the old strife; he loved Lida, yet he

could not be sure of her feelings towards himself. At times she loved

him, so he thought; and again, there were times when she did not. If he

thought 'yes,' how easy and pleasant it seemed for this young, pure,

supple body to surrender itself to him. If he thought 'no,' such an

idea was foul and detestable; he was angry at his own lust, deeming

himself vile, and unworthy of Lida.

At last be determined to be guided by chance.

"If I step on the last board with my right foot, then I've got to

propose; and if with the left, then--"

He dared not even think of what would happen in that case.

He trod on the last board with his left foot. It threw him into a cold

sweat; but he instantly reassured himself.

"Pshaw! What nonsense! I'm like some old woman! Now then; one, two,

three--at three I'll go straight up to her, and speak. Yes, but what am

I going to say? No matter! Here goes! One, two, three! No, three times

over! One, two, three! One, two--"

His brain seemed on fire, his mouth grew parched, his heart beat so

violently that his knees shook.

"Don't stamp like that!" exclaimed Lida, opening her eyes. "One can't

hear anything."