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It was already late in the night when Olenin came out of Beletski's hut following Maryanka and Ustenka. He saw in the dark street before him the gleam of the girl's white kerchief. The golden moon was descending towards the steppe. A silvery mist hung over the village. All was still; there were no lights anywhere and one heard only the receding footsteps of the young women.
It's all so horrid, so vulgar, and above all it leads to nothing! But again he was worried by the question of what would take place; and besides he felt as if bound by a promise. He went out without having made up his mind one way or the other, but he walked as far as Beletski's, and went in there. The hut in which Beletski lived was like Olenin's.
Is Grandad hungry? and from the hut came the sound of ringing laughter. Ustenka, plump, small, rosy, and pretty, with her sleeves turned up, ran into Beletski's hut to fetch some plates. 'Get away or I shall smash the plates! she squeaked, escaping from Beletski. 'You'd better come and help, she shouted to Olenin, laughing. 'And has Maryanka come? 'Of course! She brought some dough.
She went out into the street again, and after waiting awhile he too went out and without knowing where he was going he followed her. He passed by the corner where she was sitting in her shining blue satin beshmet, and with an aching heart he heard behind him the girls laughing. Beletski's hut looked out onto the square.
Olenin involuntarily noticed how Maryanka's sunburnt but small hand closed on two round peppermint nuts and one brown one, and that she did not know what to do with them. The conversation was halting and constrained, in spite of Ustenka's and Beletski's free and easy manner and their wish to enliven the company.
As Olenin was passing it he heard Beletski's voice calling to him, 'Come in, and in he went. After a short talk they both sat down by the window and were soon joined by Eroshka, who entered dressed in a new beshmet and sat down on the floor beside them. 'There, that's the aristocratic party, said Beletski, pointing with his cigarette to a brightly coloured group at the corner.
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