'There, she keeps on at the same thing,' he commented with annoyance, and he got up.
'Don't be angry, Viktor Alexandritch,' she added hurriedly, with difficulty suppressing her tears.
I'm not angry, only you're silly.... What do you want? You know I can't marry you, can I? I can't, can I? What is it you want then, eh?' (He thrust his face forward as though expecting an answer, and spread his fingers out.)
'I want nothing... nothing,' she answered falteringly, and she ventured to hold out her trembling hands to him; 'but only a word at parting.'
And her tears fell in a torrent.
'There, that means she's gone off into crying,' said Viktor coolly, pushing down his cap on to his eyes.
'I want nothing,' she went on, sobbing and covering her face with her hands; 'but what is there before me in my family? what is there before me? what will happen to me? what will become of me, poor wretch? They will marry me to a hateful... poor forsaken... Poor me!'
'Sing away, sing away,' muttered Viktor in an undertone, fidgeting with impatience as he stood.
'And he might say one word, one word.... He might say, "Akulina... I..."'
Sudden heart-breaking sobs prevented her from finishing; she lay with her face in the grass and bitterly, bitterly she wept.... Her whole body shook convulsively, her neck fairly heaved.... Her long-suppressed grief broke out in a torrent at last. Viktor stood over her, stood a moment, shrugged his shoulders, turned away and strode off.