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Dubova shook her finger threateningly: "Mind that you don't fall in love with him." "What an idea!" laughed Sina, though secretly afraid. Yourii reached home in a brighter, more hopeful mood. He went to look at the picture that he had begun. It produced no impression upon him, and he lay down contentedly to sleep. That night in dreams he had visions of fair women, radiant and alluring.
"Soloveitchik, are your workmen coming?" asked Dubova. "Yes, of course they are!" replied Soloveitchik, jumping up as if he had been stung. "We have already sent to fetch them." "Soloveitchik, don't shout like that!" exclaimed Goschienko. "Here they are!" said Schafroff, who was listening to Goschienko's words with almost reverent attention.
"Nicolaieff is blind drunk," added Koudriavji in a dry voice. "Oh! I see," said Goschienko, as he shook his head. This movement on his part, which seemed to express compassion, exasperated Yourii, who saw in the big student a personal enemy. "He chose the better part," observed Ivanoff. Again the dog barked in the courtyard. "Some one else is coming," said Dubova.
"Yes, yes, I am going to move it directly!" replied Soloveitchik, as he hurriedly caught hold of the edge of the table. "Mind the lamp!" cried Dubova. "That's not the way to move it!" exclaimed the student, slapping his knee. "Let me help you," said Sanine. "Thank you! Please!" replied Soloveitchik eagerly.
"A friend of mine told me that my life is most instructive," said Yourii after a pause, though no one had ever made such a statement to him. "In what way?" asked Sina cautiously. "As an example of how not to live." "Oh! do tell us all about it. Perhaps we might profit by the lesson," said Dubova.
Grouped round the band-stand were clerks, shopmen, schoolboys in Hessian boots, and little girls wearing brightly-coloured handkerchiefs round their heads. In the main walks and side-walks, as if engaged in an endless quadrille, there moved a vivacious throng, composed of officers, students, and ladies. They soon met Dubova, Schafroff, and Yourii Svarogitsch, and exchanged smiles as they passed.
"Now, Goschienko, as the initiator of this meeting, it is for you to make the opening speech," said the pale-faced Dubova, and from the expression in her eyes it was hard to say if she were in earnest, or only laughing at the student. "Ladies and gentlemen," began Goschienko, raising his voice, "everybody knows why we have met here to-night, and so we can dispense with any introductory speech."
She was ashamed to have such a feeling, and strove to suppress it, endeavouring to appear sympathetic, an effort which made her distress seem greater than that of her companions. "Oh! poor fellow! ... is he really...?" Sina wanted to ask: "Is he really going to die very soon?" but the words stuck in her throat, and she plied Dubova with fatuous and incoherent questions.
"Death is a horrible thing!" said Yourii, turning pale. Dubova sighed, and gazed into vacancy. Sina's chin trembled, and she smiled helplessly. She could not feel so shocked as the others; young as she was, and full of life, she could not fix her thoughts on death.
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