“Da ... Dav ... a ... alive,” got
up impulsively and rushed away.
“Where are you going?” I exclaimed.
But with a faint laugh she ran staggering across the
waste-ground....
I, of course, followed her, while behind me a wail
rose up in unison from the old man and the child....
Raissa darted straight to our house.
“Here’s a day!” I thought, trying
not to lose sight of the black dress that was fluttering
before me. “Well!”
Passing Vassily, my aunt, and even Trankvillitatin,
Raissa ran into the room where David was lying and
threw herself on his neck. “Oh ... oh ...
Da ... vidushka,” her voice rang out from under
her loose curls, “oh!”
Flinging wide his arms David embraced her and nestled
his head against her.
“Forgive me, my heart,” I heard his voice
saying.
And both seemed swooning with joy.
“But why did you go home, Raissa, why didn’t
you stay?” I said to her.... She still
kept her head bowed. “You would have seen
that he was saved....”
“Ah, I don’t know! Ah, I don’t
know. Don’t ask. I don’t know,
I don’t remember how I got home. I only
remember: I saw you in the air ... something
seemed to strike me ... and what happened afterwards
...”
“Seemed to strike you,” repeated David,
and we all three suddenly burst out laughing together.
We were very happy.
“What may be the meaning of this, may I ask,”
we heard behind us a threatening voice, the voice
of my father. He was standing in the doorway.
“Will there ever be an end to these fooleries?
Where are we living? Are we in the Russian Empire
or the French Republic?”
He came into the room.
“Anyone who wants to be rebellious and immoral
had better go to France! And how dare you
come here?” he said, turning to Raissa, who,
quietly sitting up and turning to face him, was evidently
taken aback but still smiled as before, a friendly
and blissful smile.
“The daughter of my sworn enemy! How dare
you? And hugging him, too! Away with you
at once, or ...”
“Uncle,” David brought out, and he sat
up in bed. “Don’t insult Raissa.
She is going away, only don’t insult her.”
“And who are you to teach me? I am not
insulting her, I am not in ... sul ... ting her!
I am simply turning her out of the house. I have
an account to settle with you, too, presently.
You have made away with other people’s property,
have attempted to take your own life, have put me
to expense.”
“To what expense?” David interrupted.
“What expense? You have ruined your clothes.
Do you count that as nothing? And I had to tip
the men who brought you. You have given the whole
family a fright and are you going to be unruly now?
And if this young woman, regardless of shame and honour
itself ...”
David made a dash as though to get out of bed.
