“Directly!” cried Marfinka’s clear voice from a neighbouring room. Happy, gay, smiling and frank, she fluttered into the room, looked hesitatingly, first at Raisky, then at her aunt, who was nearly beside herself.
“Your cousin, Marfinka, is pleased to present you with a house, silver, and lace. You are, he thinks, a beggared, dowerless girl. Make a curtsey, thank your benefactor, kiss his hand—Well?”
Marfinka, who did not know what to say, squeezed herself flat against the stove and looked at her two relatives. Her aunt pushed papers and books on one side, crossed her hands over her breast, and looked out of the window, while Raisky sat down beside Marfinka, and took her hand.
“Would you like to go away from here, Marfinka, into a strange house, perhaps in an altogether different district?”
“God forbid! How could such a thing happen. Who ever imagined such nonsense?”
“Granny,” laughed Raisky.
Happily “Granny” had not heard the words. Marfinka was embarrassed, and looked out of the window.
“Here I have everything I want, the lovely flowers in the garden, the birds. Who would look after the birds? I will never go away from here, never!”
“But Granny wants to go and take you with her.”
“Granny! Where? Why?” she asked her aunt in her caressing, coaxing way.