Sina blushed in the darkness and was silent. At last she murmured. “Because I thought that you were to be trusted.”
“And suppose that you had been mistaken?”
“Then, I should … have drowned myself,” said Sina almost inaudibly.
The words filled Yourii with pity. His passion subsided, and he felt suddenly solaced.
“What a good little girl!” he thought, sincerely touched by such frank, simple modesty.
Proud of her reply, and gratified by his silent approval, Sina smiled at him, as they returned to the entrance of the cavern. Meanwhile she kept wondering why his question had not seemed offensive or shameful to her, but, on the contrary, quite agreeable.
CHAPTER VI.
After waiting a while at the entrance, and making sundry jokes at the expense of Sina and Yourii, the others wandered along the river-bank. The men lit cigarettes and threw the matches into the water, watching these make large circles on the surface of the stream. Lida, with arms a-kimbo, tripped along, singing softly as she went, and her pretty little feet in dainty yellow shoes now and again executed an impromptu dance. Lialia picked flowers, which she flung at Riasantzeff, caressing him with her eyes.
“What do you say to a drink?” Ivanoff asked Sanine.
“Splendid idea!” replied the other.