“Not at all!” said Tanaroff, indignantly.
“Don’t you find this sort of talk rather boring?” asked Sanine.
Sarudine’s rejoinder was lost in a fit of coughing. They all of them really thought such a discussion tedious and unnecessary; and yet they all felt somewhat offended. An unpleasant silence reigned.
Lida and Maria Ivanovna appeared on the verandah. Lida had heard her brother’s last words, but did not know to what they referred.
“You seem to have soon become bored!” cried she, laughing. “Let us go down to the river. It is charming there, now.”
As she passed in front of the men, her shapely figure swayed slightly, and there was a look of dark mystery in her eyes that seemed to say something, to promise something.
“Go for a walk till supper-time,” said Maria Ivanovna.
“Delighted,” exclaimed Sarudine. His spurs clinked, as he offered Lida his arm.
“I hope that I may be allowed to come too,” said Novikoff, meaning to be satirical, though his face wore a tearful expression.
“Who is there to prevent you?” replied Lida, smiling, at him over her shoulder.