Sanine

Seated behind, Yourii looked at Riasantzeff's Deck, and roused from his

own melancholy thoughts, endeavoured to understand what he said.

"Oh!... Yes!" he replied hesitatingly.

"I didn't know that Sanine was such a gay dog," laughed Riasantzeff.

Yourii was not dreaming now, and he recalled the momentary vision of

Sanine and that pretty girlish face illumined by the light of a match.

Again he felt jealous, yet suddenly it occurred to him that Sanine's

treatment of the girl was base and contemptible.

"No, I had no idea of it, either," said Yourii, with a touch of irony

that was lost upon Riasantzeff, who whipped up the horse and, after a

while, remarked: "Pretty girl, wasn't she? I know her. She's the old fellow's

grandchild," Yourii was silent. His contemplative mood was in a moment dispelled,

and he now felt convinced that Sanine was a coarse, bad man.

Riasantzeff shrugged his shoulders, and at last blurted out: "Deuce take it! Such a night, eh? It seems to have got hold of me, too.

I say, suppose we drive back, and--"

Yourii did not at first understand what he meant.

"There are some fine girls there, you know. What do you say? Shall we

go back?" continued Riasantzeff, sniggering.

Yourii blushed deeply. A thrill of animal lust shot through his frame,

and enticing pictures rose up before his heated imagination. Yet,

controlling himself, he answered, in a dry voice: "No; it is time that we were at home." Then he added, maliciously:

"Lialia is waiting for us."

Riasantzeff collapsed.

"Oh, yes, of course; yes, we ought to be back by now!" he hastily

muttered.

Yourii ground his teeth, and, glaring at the driver's broad back in its

white jacket, remarked aggressively: "I have no particular liking for adventures of that sort."

"No, no; I understand. Ha! Ha!" replied Riasantzeff, laughing in a

faint half-hearted way. After that he was silent.

"Damn it! How stupid of me!" he thought.

They drove home without uttering another word, and to each the way

seemed endless.

"You will come in, won't you?" asked Yourii, without looking up.

"Er ... No! I have got to see a patient. Besides it is rather late,"

replied Riasantzeff hesitatingly.

Yourii got out of the droschky, not caring to take the gun or the

game. Everything that belonged to Riasantzeff he now seemed to loathe.

The latter called out to him.

"I say, you've left your gun!"

Yourii turned round, took this and the bag with an air of disgust.

After shaking hands awkwardly with Riasantzeff, he entered the house.

The latter drove on slowly for a short distance and then turned sharply

into a side-street. The rattle of wheels on the road could now be heard

in another direction. Yourii listened to it, furious, and yet secretly

jealous. "A bad lot!" he muttered, feeling sorry for his sister.