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"Get up and steer, for God's sake!" "You can manage quite well by yourself," was the reply. Ivanoff struck the water with his oars, so that Sanine got thoroughly splashed. "Thank you," said the latter, coolly. As they passed a green spot they heard laughter and the sound of merry girlish voices. It being a holiday, townsfolk had come thither to enjoy themselves. "Girls bathing," said Ivanoff.
Riasantzeff said to Yourii: "Old Kousma's a philosopher, eh?" 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.
"Lida has just gone through a terrible ordeal," said Sanine in a low voice, as if soliloquising. If I had not chanced to overtake her, she would not be living now, and what yesterday was a healthful, handsome girl would now be lying in the river-mud, a bloated corpse, devoured by crabs.
"Well, it is not always a suitable one," continued Yourii, raising his voice, "I really fail to see what gives you such assurance." "Probably the consciousness of being more intelligent than you are," replied Sanine, now quite calm. Yourii stood still, trembling from head to foot. "Look here!" he exclaimed hoarsely. "Don't get angry!" interposed Sanine.
"All right; let us go," exclaimed Novikoff with decision. In the doorway he stopped and looking Sanine full in the face he said with unwonted emphasis: "Look here, if it is in my power, I will do my best to make her happy. This sounds commonplace, I know, but I can't express my feelings in any other way." "No matter, my friend," replied Sanine cordially, "I understand."
"And what does he say?" exclaimed Yourii. Ivanoff shrugged his shoulders. He was in no mood to discuss Sanine with Yourii, and he answered, not without irritation. "Nothing. What has it to do with him?" "Anyhow, he was the cause of it," said Lialia. "Yes, but what business had that fool to attack him? It is not Sanine's fault.
The moonlight became more and more intense and the shadows harder. Crossing the grass, Sanine sat down under a linden-tree and was about to light a cigarette. Then he suddenly stopped and remained motionless, as if spell-bound by the evening calm that the sounds of the piano and of this youthfully sentimental voice in no way disturbed, but rather served to make more complete.
"I'm going to see what they are about, in there," replied Sanine, pointing to the closed door. "Don't be a fool I Sit down and have a drink!" said Ivanoff. "You're the fool!" rejoined Sanine, as he went out. On reaching a narrow side-street where nettles grew in profusion, Sanine bethought himself of the exact spot which Sarudine's windows overlooked.
As for Sanine, according to his origin and education he ought to have been something quite different from what he was; and Maria Ivanovna felt as Lida, Novikoff and all who came into contact with him felt, that he had disappointed expectation. With a mother's instinct she quickly saw the impression that her son made on those about him; and it pained her. Sanine was aware of this.
Tanaroff and Von Deitz were sitting in the drawing-room bolt upright, with their heads close together, as if in their white tunics and tight riding-breeches they felt extremely uncomfortable. As Sanine entered they both rose slowly and with some hesitation, apparently uncertain how to behave. "Good day, gentlemen," said Sanine in a loud voice, as he held out his hand.
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