Lukáshka rose and raised his cap.
“I expect I had better go home too, that will be best,” he said, trying to appear unconcerned but hardly able to repress a smile, and he disappeared behind the corner of the house.
Meanwhile night had entirely enveloped the village. Bright stars were scattered over the dark sky. The streets became dark and empty. Nazárka remained with the women on the earth-bank and their laughter was still heard, but Lukáshka, having slowly moved away from the girls, crouched down like a cat and then suddenly started running lightly, holding his dagger to steady it: not homeward, however, but towards the cornet’s house. Having passed two streets he turned into a lane and lifting the skirt of his coat sat down on the ground in the shadow of a fence. “A regular cornet’s daughter!” he thought about Maryánka. “Won’t even have a lark—the devil! But just wait a bit.”
The approaching footsteps of a woman attracted his attention. He began listening, and laughed all by himself. Maryánka with bowed head, striking the pales of the fences with a switch, was walking with rapid regular strides straight towards him. Lukáshka rose. Maryánka started and stopped.
“What an accursed devil! You frightened me! So you have not gone home?” she said, and laughed aloud.
Lukáshka put one arm round her and with the other hand raised her face. “What I wanted to tell you, by Heaven!” his voice trembled and broke.
“What are you talking of, at night time!” answered Maryánka. “Mother is waiting for me, and you’d better go to your sweetheart.”
And freeing herself from his arms she ran away a few steps. When she had reached the wattle fence of her home she stopped and turned to the Cossack who was running beside her and still trying to persuade her to stay a while with him.
“Well, what do you want to say, midnight-gadabout?” and she again began laughing.
“Don’t laugh at me, Maryánka! By the Heaven! Well, what if I have a sweetheart? May the devil take her! Only say the word and now I’ll love you—I’ll do anything you wish. Here they are!” and he jingled the money in his pocket. “Now we can live splendidly. Others have pleasures, and I? I get no pleasure from you, Maryánka dear!”