"But perhaps you're fooling me," she said; "perhaps your mistress is hiding from me."
"He-he! Why should she hide?" replied the maid with a laugh. "But you can come in if you don't believe me."
Liudmilla looked into the drawing-room and shouted playfully:
"Is there a live person in the place? Ah, a student!"
Sasha looked out from his room and was delighted to see Liudmilla, and seeing his joyous eyes Liudmilla became even gayer. She asked:
"And where's Olga Vassilyevna?"
"She's not at home," replied Sasha, "that is, she hasn't come back yet. She must have gone somewhere after church. Here I'm back and she's not here yet."
Liudmilla pretended to be astonished. She swung her parasol and said as if in annoyance:
"How can it be? Everyone else is back from church. She's always at home, and then I come and she's out. Is it because you make such a noise, young man, that the old woman can't sit at home?"
Sasha smiled quietly. He was delighted to hear Liudmilla's voice, Liudmilla's cheerful laughter. He was wondering at the moment how he could best offer to escort her—so that he would be with her even a few more minutes, to look at her and to listen to her.