"Good," exclaimed her cousin delightedly. "Yes, that's the way he should be treated—see, he is approaching—come!"
The two young cousins rose and passed down the room, almost meeting Sasha Maximof, who stopped, obviously expecting them to do the same. "Demidof," he said, "be so kind as to present me to your friend."
Vera passed on, taking no notice whatever. Constantine looked round, over his shoulder.
"You will have to wait now, my friend, until she is a little older," he said, and Vera pinched his arm with delight.
"Bravo, cousin," she said, "that was splendid."
"It was rather daring," said Constantine, somewhat ruefully, "to a senior cadet; I don't know what will happen to me."
Sasha returned to his charmer, who, unfortunately, had witnessed his discomfiture.
"You've met your match, my friend!" she laughed; "she's decidedly pretty, too, when one sees her closely."
"She's an impudent little minx at any rate," said Sasha, laughing also, though somewhat artificially, and at the same time flushing hotly; he was not used to rebuffs from the fair sex. "By such conduct—revealing a tendency to bad manners—she commits felo de se as regards—well—a certain object she has in view."
On the way home Vera, following up some train of thought, remarked to her cousin that it was a pity Sasha Maximof was so good-looking; to which Constantine replied that he did not see much to admire in the fellow.