It seemed as though she were wandering in a dark wood. She
glanced at a mirror, and saw the reflection of her own rueful
countenance.
"He shall just see me looking like this!" she thought.
Riasantzeff was standing in the dining-room, saying in his remarkably
pleasant voice to Nicolai Yegorovitch;
"Of course, it's rather strange, but quite harmless."
At the sound of his voice Lialia felt her heart throb violently, as if
it must break. When Riasantzeff saw her, he suddenly stopped talking
and came forward to meet her with outstretched arms. She alone knew
that this gesture signified his desire to embrace her.
Lialia looked up shyly at him, and her lips trembled. Without a word
she pulled her hand away, crossed the room and opened the glass door
leading to the balcony. Riasantzeff watched her, calmly, but with
slight astonishment.
"My Ludmilla Nicolaijevna is cross," he said to Nicolai Yegorovitch
with serio-comic gravity of manner. The latter burst out laughing.
"You had better go and make it up."
"There's nothing else to be done!" sighed Riasantzeff, in droll
fashion, as he followed Lialia on to the balcony.
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