Three days later she met me in the garden. I was turning away, but she stopped me of herself.
'Give me your arm,' she said to me with her old affectionateness, 'it's a long while since we have had a talk together.'
I stole a look at her; her eyes were full of a soft light, and her face seemed as it were smiling through a mist.
'Are you still not well?' I asked her.
'No, that's all over now,' she answered, and she picked a small red rose. 'I am a little tired, but that too will pass off.'
'And will you be as you used to be again?' I asked.
Zinaïda put the rose up to her face, and I fancied the reflection of its bright petals had fallen on her cheeks. 'Why, am I changed?' she questioned me.
'Yes, you are changed,' I answered in a low voice.
'I have been cold to you, I know,' began Zinaïda, 'but you mustn't pay attention to that ... I couldn't help it.... Come, why talk about it!'
'You don't want me to love you, that's what it is!' I cried gloomily, in an involuntary outburst.
'No, love me, but not as you did.'
'How then?'
'Let us be friends--come now!' Zinaïda gave me the rose to smell. 'Listen, you know I'm much older than you--I might be your aunt, really; well, not your aunt, but an older sister. And you ...'
'You think me a child,' I interrupted.
'Well, yes, a child, but a dear, good clever one, whom I love very much. Do you know what? From this day forth I confer on you the rank of page to me; and don't you forget that pages have to keep close to their ladies. Here is the token of your new dignity,' she added, sticking the rose in the buttonhole of my jacket, 'the token of my favour.'
'I once received other favours from you,' I muttered.
'Ah!' commented Zinaïda, and she gave me a sidelong look, 'What a memory he has! Well? I'm quite ready now ...' And stooping to me, she imprinted on my forehead a pure, tranquil kiss.
I only looked at her, while she turned away, and saying, 'Follow me, my page,' went into the lodge. I followed her--all in amazement. 'Can this gentle, reasonable girl,' I thought, 'be the Zinaïda I used to know?' I fancied her very walk was quieter, her whole figure statelier and more graceful ...