But Liudmilla did not think of going. She looked at Sasha with a shy smile and said:
"Well, why don't you ask me to sit down, you polite young man? Don't you see that I'm tired! Let me rest for a moment."
And she entered the drawing-room laughing and caressing Sasha with her quick, tender eyes. Sasha grew red with confusion but was glad that she would remain longer with him.
"If you like I'll scent you," said Liudmilla gaily. "Would you like it?"
"What a person you are!" said Sasha. "You suddenly want to suffocate[1] me! Why are you so cruel?"
Liudmilla burst out laughing and threw herself back in her chair.
"You stupid! You don't understand. I don't mean to suffocate with the hands, but with scents."
Sasha said:
"Ah! Scents! I don't mind that."
Liudmilla took the sprinkler from her hand-bag and turned before Sasha's eyes the pretty little glass vessel, dark red with gold ornaments, with its rubber ball and bronze mouthpiece, and said: