' While all the time, I was....
Oh! it's horrible! It's shameful! I'll never, never love anybody
again!"
And she wept again, her cheek pressed against the cool window-pane, as
she watched the drifting clouds.
"But Tolia is coming to lunch to-day!" The thought of it made her
shiver. "What am I to say to him? What ought one to say in cases of
this kind?"
Lialia opened her mouth and stared anxiously at the wall.
"I must ask Yourii about it. Dear Yourii! He's so good and upright!"
she thought, as tears of sympathy filled her eyes. Then, being never
wont to postpone matters, she hastened to her brother's room. There she
found Schafroff who was discussing something with Yourii. She stood,
irresolute, in the doorway.
"Good morning," she said absently.
"Good morning!" replied Schafroff. "Pray come in, Ludmilla
Nicolaijevna; your help is absolutely necessary in this matter."
Still somewhat embarrassed, Lialia sat down obediently at the table and
began fingering in desultory fashion some of the green and red
pamphlets which were heaped upon it.
"You see, it's like this," began Schafroff, turning towards her as if
he were about to explain something extremely complicated, "several of
our comrades at Koursk are very hard up, and we must absolutely do what
we can to help them.
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