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'What did you think of me yesterday, M'sieu Voldeht ill ofhow can I?' I answered in confusion

'Listen,' she rejoined 'You don't know e person; I like always to be told the truth You, I have just heard, are sixteen, and I areat deal older than you, and so you ought always to tell me the truthand to do what I tell you,' she added 'Look at me: why don't you look at me?'

I was still more abashed; however, I raised my eyes to her She smiled, not her former smile, but a s her voice caressingly: 'I don't dislike thatI like your face; I have a presentiment we shall be friends But do you like

'In the first place, you must call me Zinaïda Alexandrovna, and in the second place it's a bad habit for children'--(she corrected herself) 'for young people--not to say straight out what they feel That's all very well for grown-up people You like hted that she talked so freely to me, still I was a little hurt I wanted to show her that she had not aas easy and serious an air as I could, I observed, 'Certainly I like you very much, Zinaïda Alexandrovna; I have no wish to conceal it'

She shook her head very deliberately 'Have you a tutor?' she asked suddenly

'No; I've not had a tutor for a long, long while'

I told a lie; it was not a month since I had parted with rown-up'

She tapped ht!' And she applied herself busily to winding the ball

I seized the opportunity when she was looking down and fell to watching her, at first stealthily, thenthan on the previous evening; everything in it was so delicate, clever, and sweet She was sitting with her back to acovered with a white blind, the sunshine, streaolden curls, her innocent neck, her sloping shoulders, and tender untroubled bosoazed at her, and how dear and near she was already towhile and had never known anything nor lived at all till Ia dark and rather shabby dress and an apron; I would gladly, I felt, have kissed every fold of that dress and apron The tips of her little shoes peeped out from under her skirt; I could have bowed down in adoration to those shoes 'And here I aht; 'I have made acquaintance with herwhat happiness,up fros a little, like a siven sweetmeats