Part 4 (1/2)

His brain seemed on fire, his mouth grew parched, his heart beat so violently that his knees shook.

”Don't stamp like that!” exclaimed Lida, opening her eyes. ”One can't hear anything.”

Only then was Novikoff aware that Sarudine was singing.

The young officer had chosen that old romance,

_I loved you once! Can you forget?

Love in my heart is burning yet_.

He did not sing badly, but after the style of untrained singers who seek to give expression by exaggerated tone-colour. Novikoff found nothing to please him in such a performance.

”What is that? One of his own compositions?” asked he, with unusual bitterness.

”No! Don't disturb us, please, but sit down!” said Lida, sharply. ”And if you don't like music, go and look at the moon!”

Just then the moon, large, round and red, was rising above the black tree-tops. Its soft evasive light touched the stone steps, and Lida's dress, and her pensive, smiling face. In the garden the shadows had grown deeper; they were now sombre and profound as those of the forest.

Novikoff sighed, and then blurted out.

”I prefer you to the moon,” thinking to himself, ”that's an idiotic remark!”

Lida burst out laughing.

”What a lumpish compliment!” she exclaimed.

”I don't know how to pay compliments,” was Novikoff's sullen rejoinder.

”Very well, then, sit still and listen,” said Lida, shrugging her shoulders, pettishly.

_But you no longer care, I know, Why should I grieve you with my woe_?

The tones of the piano rang out with silvery clearness through the green, humid garden. The moonlight became more and more intense and the shadows harder. Crossing the gra.s.s, 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.

”Lidia Petrovna!” cried Novikoff hurriedly, as if this particular moment must never be lost. ”Well?” asked Lida mechanically, as she looked at the garden and the moon above it and the dark boughs that stood out sharply against its silver disc.

”I have long waited--that is--I have been anxious to say something to you,” Novikoff stammered out.

Sanine turned his head round to listen.

”What about?” asked Lida, absently.

Sarudine had finished his song and after a pause began to sing again.

He thought that he had a voice of extraordinary beauty, and he much liked to hear it.

Novikoff felt himself growing red, and then pale. It was as if he were going to faint.

”I--look here--Lidia Petrovna--will you be my wife?”

As he stammered out these words he felt all the while that he ought to have said something very different and that his own emotions should have been different also. Before he had got the words out he was certain that the answer would be ”no”; and at the same time he had an impression that something utterly silly and ridiculous was about to occur.