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I mean what I say, who is it that plucks our unfortunate blossoms? What men are those whom we set up as heroes?" rejoined Lida bitterly. "Aren't you rather too hard upon us?" asked Sarudine. "No, Lidia Petrovna is right!" exclaimed Volochine, but, glancing at Sarudine, his eloquence suddenly subsided. Lida laughed outright.
Would you like some wine or some beer?" Volochine sat down carefully in an arm-chair and his white, immaculate form stood out sharply against the dingy oil-cloth cover. "Please don't trouble. I just came to see you for a moment," he said, somewhat coldly, as he surveyed the company. "How's that? I'll send for some white wine. You like white wine, don't you?" asked Sarudine, and he hurried out.
The orderly now entered treading clumsily in his heavy boots. He had come to light the lamp, and during the process of striking matches and jingling the glass shade, Sarudine and Volochine were silent. As the flame of the lamp rose, only their glittering eyes and the glowing cigarette-ends could be seen.
Sarudine saw that Volochine was smiling to himself, as if he did not believe that the former had ever been on intimate terms with Lida. "Ah! Ah! Ah! Very good!" he said to himself, as he bit his lip viciously. "Oh! our famous Petersburg life!" Volochine, who chattered with ease, looked like a silly little monkey babbling of things that it did not comprehend.
Upon Volochine, her appearance produced an extraordinary effect, as his sharp little tongue darted out from his dry lips, and his eyes grew smaller and his whole frame vibrated from sheer physical excitement. "You haven't introduced us," said Lida, looking round at Sarudine. "Volochine ... Pavel Lvovitsch ..." stammered the officer. "And this beauty," he said to himself, "was my mistress."
"Yes, yes!" drawled Volochine; to Sarudine his tone seemed to say, "and you're no better, either." "I think I must be going now. I'm staying at the hotel on the boulevard. I may see you again!" Volochine rose to take his leave. At this moment the orderly entered and saluting in slovenly fashion, said, "The young lady is there, sir." Sarudine started. "What?" he cried. "She has come, sir."
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