“Why are you looking so glum to-day?” the Count asked. “Oh, ho! Pëtr Egorych, it's your fault! Have the goodness to cheer your wife up! Ladies and gentlemen, I demand a kiss! Ha, ha!… The kiss I demand is, of course, not for me, but only … that they should kiss each other! Bitter!”
“Bitter!” echoed Kalinin.
Urbenin, smiling all over his red face, rose and began to blink. Olenka forced by the calls and the demands of the guests, rose slightly and offered her motionless, lifeless lips to Urbenin. He kissed her.… Olenka pressed her lips together as if she feared they would be kissed another time, and glanced at me.… Probably my look was an evil one. Catching my eye, she suddenly blushed, and taking up her handkerchief, she began to blow her nose, trying in that way to hide her terrible confusion.… The thought entered my mind that she was ashamed before me, ashamed of that kiss, ashamed of her marriage.
“What have I to do with you?” I thought, but at the same time I did not remove my eyes from her face, trying to discover the cause of her confusion.
The poor little thing could not stand my gaze. It is true the blush of shame soon left her face, but in place of it tears began to rise up in her eyes, real tears such as I had never before seen on her face. Pressing her handkerchief to her face, she rose and rushed out of the dining-room.
“Olga Nikolaevna has a bad headache,” I hastened to say in order to explain her departure. “Already this morning she complained of her head.…”
“Not at all, brother,” the Count said jokingly. “A headache has nothing to do with it. It's all caused by the kiss, it has confused her. Ladies and gentlemen, I announce a severe reprimand for the bridegroom! He has not taught his bride how to kiss! Ha, ha, ha!”
The guests, delighted with the Count's wit, began to laugh.… But they ought not to have laughed.…
Five minutes passed, ten minutes passed, and the bride did not return.… A silence fell on the party.… Even the Count ceased joking.… Olenka's absence was all the more striking as she had left suddenly without saying a word.… To say nothing about etiquette, which had received a shock first of all, Olenka had left the table immediately after the kiss, so it was evident she was cross at having been forced to kiss her husband.… It was impossible to suppose she had gone away because she was confused.… One can be confused for a minute, for two, but not for an eternity, as the first ten minutes of her absence appeared to us all. What a number of evil thoughts entered into the half tipsy minds of the men, what scandals were being prepared by the charming ladies! The bride had risen and left the table! What an effective and scenic point for a drama in the provincial “fashionable world”!
Urbenin began to be uneasy and looked round.