"So you're sending me away," said Liudmilla.
She caught hold of his hand and rolled the sleeve above the elbow.
"What are you doing?" asked Sasha in confusion, blushing guiltily.
But Liudmilla looked at his arm admiringly and turned this way and that way.
"What beautiful arms you've got!" she said clearly and happily, and suddenly kissed it near the elbow.
Sasha tried to drag his arm away. Liudmilla held it and kissed it several more times. Sasha became still and cast down his eyes. And a strange expression came over his clear, half-smiling lips—and under the shadow of his thick eyelashes his hot cheeks began to pale.
They said good-bye to each other. Sasha escorted Liudmilla as far as the gate. He would have gone further but she forbade it. He paused at the gate and said:
"Come again oftener, my dear, bring sweeter cakes, do you hear?"
He used the familiar "thou" to her for the first time, and it sounded in her ear like a gentle caress. She embraced and kissed him impetuously, and ran away. Sasha stood like one dazed.