United States or Namibia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
She was nervous, and instinctively kept close to Yourii for protection. This Yourii noticed. He felt a strange sympathy for his fair, frail companion. "It is like being buried alive," she continued. "We might scream, but nobody would hear us." "Of course not," laughed Yourii. Then a sudden thought caused his brain to reel. This beautiful girl, so fresh, so desirable, was at his mercy.
At this they all laughed. The boat drew near the bank and a wave of cold air from the cavern passed over their heads. "For heaven's sake, Yourii, don't do such a silly thing!" said Lialia, trying to dissuade her brother. "It really is silly of you!" "Silly? Of course it is." Yourii, smiling, assented. "Semenoff, just give me that candle, will you?" "Where shall I find it?"
In doing this, he nearly slipped, when she murmured: "We shall fall!" feeling bashful, and yet full of joy. As Yourii pressed her limbs closer to his, it appeared to him that she had at once the sumptuous proportions of a woman and the soft, slight figure of a child. Down below, under the trees, it was dark, and here Yourii placed the girl, seating himself next to her.
A broad-shouldered man with curly hair leant over the sill and called out, "Who's there?" "Friends!" replied Yourii. As they went up the steps they pushed against some one who shocks hands with them in friendly fashion. "I was afraid that you wouldn't come!" said a cheery voice in a strong Jewish accent.
He stretched out his neck in a vain effort to see more clearly, but the leaves grew and grew, till they had covered everything; and what then happened to him Yourii never knew. Those who knew Yourii Svarogitsch, and those who did not, those who liked, as those who despised him, even those who had never thought about him were sorry, now that he was dead.
The air was warm, and a slight dust floated above the streets. Except for one or two passers-by, the boulevard was absolutely deserted. Yourii walked slowly along, his eyes fixed on the ground. "How boring!" he thought. "What am I to do?" Suddenly Schafroff, the student, walking briskly, and, swinging his arm, approached him with a friendly smile on his face.
"Do you really need one? If I desire, and am able, to do something, I do it. That's my programme!" "A fine one indeed!" exclaimed Schafroff hotly, Yourii merely shrugged his shoulders and made no reply. For a while they all went on drinking in silence. Then Yourii turned to Sanine and proceeded to expound his views concerning the Supreme Good.
Yourii longed to embrace her, yet again his courage failed him, and he pretended to stifle a yawn. "He's only in fun!" thought Sina, growing suddenly cool. She felt hurt at such hesitation on Yourii's part. To keep back her tears, she clenched her teeth, and in an altered tone exclaimed "Nonsense!" as she quickly got up. "I am speaking quite seriously," began Yourii, with unnatural earnestness.
He would have liked to say something consoling that might encourage hope, but he felt that this was impossible. "Good-bye!" he said, sighing. Semenoff raised his cap and opened the gate. The sound of his footsteps and of his cough grew fainter, and then all was still. Yourii turned homewards.
Next morning Yourii rose late, feeling indisposed. His head ached, and he had a bad taste in his mouth. At first he could only recollect shouts, jingling glasses, and the waning light of lamps at dawn. Then he remembered how, stumbling and grunting, Schafroff and Peter Ilitsch had retired, while he and Ivanoff the latter pale with drink, but firm on his feet stood talking on the balcony.
Word Of The Day