When she looked up Lady Feodorovna and her maid were gone, and Nicholas stood before her holding little Noviska by one hand, while two-year-old Todleben clung to his knee.
"Katinka," said Nicholas gently, "now I can thank you with all my heart, though I cannot find words to speak my thanks. Let the children kiss you for it all; that is best."
Katinka kissed the children heartily, then she put down the baby and opened the door, but Nicholas's face was sober then, though his eyes still smiled as he said:
"Come back to tea, Katinka, and bring your father with you, and our young neighbour Alexis, who often is hungry, and we will have a feast of all these good things."
"Horro sha" (very well), said Katinka, then she quickly ran home.
Dimitri met her at the door, crying piteously.
"Poor Pussy!" said Katinka; "you have had nothing to eat all day! What a shame!"
"Miauw!" said Dimitri to that.
"Never mind, Pussy; you shall have all my supper, and father's too, for we are invited out to tea, so must not eat anything now."
"Miauw, miauw!" said pussy again to that, and scampered away to his bowl to be all ready for his fish, and milk, and sour cabbage soup, that he knew was coming.