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'Well, do you like it?' Maria Nikolaevna asked in a sort of exquisite whisper

'I like it!' Sanin echoed back ecstatically And his blood was on fire

'This isn't all, wait a bit' She held out her hand Her glove was torn across

'I told you I would lead you to the forest, to the mountains Here they are, the mountains!' The mountains, covered with tall forest, rose about two hundred feet from the place they had reached in their wild ride 'Look, here is the road; let us turn into it--and forwards Only at a walk We et their breath'

They rode on With one vigorous sweep of her ar back her hair Then she looked at her gloves and took them off 'My hands will smell of leather,' she said, 'you won't mind that, eh?'Maria Nikolaevna sether seeether and made them friends

'How old are you?' she asked suddenly

'Twenty-two'

'Really? I'ether and you're still far off old age It's hot, though Am I very red, eh?'

'Like a poppy!'

Maria Nikolaevna rubbed her face with her handkerchief 'We've only to get to the forest and there it will be cool Such an old forest is like an old friend Have you any friends?'

Sanin thought a little 'Yesonly few No real ones'

'I have; real ones--but not old ones This is a friend too--a horse How carefully it carries one! Ah, but it's splendid here! Is it possible I a to Paris the day after to-morrow?'

'Yesis it possible?' Sanin chi to Frankfort'

'Well, what of it? Good luck go with you! Anyway, to-day's oursoursours!'

The horses reached the forest's edge and pushed on into the forest The broad soft shade of the forest wrapt them round on all sides

'Oh, but this is paradise!' cried Maria Nikolaevna 'Further, deeper into the shade, Sanin!'

The horsesand snorting The path, by which they had coorge The smell of heather and bracken, of the resin of the pines, and the decaying leaves of last year, seeh the clefts of the big brown rocks ca currents of fresh air On both sides of the path rose round hillocks covered with green moss