She was musing on all that had just happened, and her experiences, if
they had caused delight, had yet provoked shame. "Good heavens!"
thought she, "am I really so depraved?" Then for the hundredth time she
blissfully recalled the rapture that was hers as she first lay in
Yourii's arms. "My darling! My darling!" she murmured, and again Sanine
watched her eyelids tremble, and her smiling lips. Of the subsequent
scene, distressful in its unbridled passion, she preferred not to
think, instinctively aware that the memory of it would only bring
disenchantment.
There was a knock at the door.
"Who is there?" asked Sina, looking up. Sanine plainly saw her white,
soft neck.
"Here's a letter for you," cried the boy outside.
Sina rose and opened the door. Splashed with wet mud to the knees, the
boy entered, and snatching his cap from his head, said: "The young lady sent me."
"Sinotschka," wrote Dubova, "if possible, do come back to town this
evening. The Inspector of Schools has arrived, and will visit our
school to-morrow morning. It won't look well if you are not there."
"What is it?" asked Sina's old aunt.
"Olga has sent for me. The school-inspector has come," replied Sina,
pensively.
The boy rubbed one foot against another.
"She wished me to tell you to come back without fail," he said.
"Are you going?" asked the aunt.
"How can I? Alone, in the dark?"
"The moon is up," said the boy. "It's quite light out-of-doors."
"I shall have to go," said Sina, still hesitating.
"Yes, yes, go, my child. Otherwise there might be trouble."
"Very well, then, I'll go," said Sina, nodding her head resolutely.
She dressed quickly, put on her hat and took leave of her aunt.
"Good-bye, auntie," "Good-bye, my dear. God be with you."
Sina turned to the boy. "Are you coming with me?" The urchin looked shy
and confused, as, again rubbing his feet together, he muttered, "I came
to be with mother. She does washing here, for the monks."
"But how am I to go alone, Grischka?"
"All right! Let's go," replied the lad, in a tone of vigorous assent.
They went out into the dark-blue, fragrant night.
"What a delightful scent!" she exclaimed, immediately uttering a
startled cry, for in the darkness she had stumbled against some one.
"It is I," said Sanine, laughing.