"Oh! how you frighten me!" said Jakoff chaffingly.
Then stooping down over the water he began to wash himself. With the palms of his hands held close together, he scooped up the water, threw it over his face, and then shook himself as he experienced the crisp fresh sensation of cold. Wiping himself with the edge of his shirt, he said to Malva—"Why do you always try and frighten me?"
"And you, why do you try and gobble me up with your eyes?"
Jakoff could not remember that, he had looked at her more than at other women at the fishery, but now he said to her suddenly—
"It's because you are so ... tempting!"
"If your father hears of your goings on, he'll give you something to tempt you!"
She threw a provoking sly glance at him. Jakoff burst out laughing, and climbed into the boat He did not know what "goings on" she was referring to; but as she said so, he must of course have been running after her. And this thought made him feel suddenly quite lively.
"What has my father got to do with me?" said he, as he sat down by her in the boat "Has he bought you for himself? Eh?"
Seated by her side he contemplated her bare shoulder, her half-uncovered bosom, her whole strong, fresh figure smelling of the sea.
"What a fine white sort of sturgeon, you are!" he exclaimed with admiration, as the outcome of a minute inspection.