"You ought to have hit Pavloushka in the teeth and her in the ear—why did you stand on ceremony!" screamed Goudayevskaya.
The crowd pressed against Veriga. They abused him fully. Veriga stood calmly before the door and tried to persuade those nearest him to preserve order. The kitchen-boy opened the door behind Veriga and whispered:
"They've gone, your Excellency."
Veriga walked away.
The crowd broke into the dining-room, then into the kitchen—they looked for the Geisha but did not find her.
Bengalsky, carrying the Geisha, ran through the dining-room into the kitchen. She lay tranquilly in his arms and said nothing. Bengalsky thought he could hear the strong beating of the Geisha's heart. On her tightly-clutching bare arms he noticed several scratches and near the elbow the blue-yellow stain of a bruise. In a hurried voice Bengalsky said to the crowding servants in the kitchen:
"Quick, an overcoat, a dressing-gown, a sheet—anything! I must save this lady."
An overcoat was thrown on Sasha's shoulders, Bengalsky somehow wrapped it round the Geisha, and traversing the dark stairs, lighted by dim, smoky paraffin lamps, carried her into the yard and through a gate into the street.
"Take off the mask. You'll be more likely to be recognised with it on—and anyway it's quite dark here. I'll tell no one," said he rather inconsistently.