When Lida Sanine received Lialia's invitation, she showed it to her
brother. She thought that he would refuse; in fact, she hoped as much.
She felt that on the moonlit river she would again be drawn to
Sarudine, and would again experience that sensation at once delicious
and disquieting. At the same time she was ashamed that her brother
should know that it was Sarudine, of all people, whom he cordially
despised.
But Sanine at once accepted with pleasure.
The day was an ideal one; bright sunlight and a cloudless sky.
"No doubt there will be some nice girls there, whose acquaintance you
may care to make," said Lida, mechanically.
"Ah! that's good!" said Sanine. "The weather is lovely, too; so let's
go!"
At the time appointed, Sarudine and Tanaroff drove up in the large
lineika belonging to their squadron with two big regimental horses.
"Lidia Petrovna, we are waiting for you," cried Sarudine, looking
extremely smart in white, and heavily scented.
Lida in a light gauzy dress with a collar and waist-band of rose-
coloured velvet ran down the steps and held out both her hands to
Sarudine. For a moment he grasped them tightly, as he glanced
admiringly at her person.
"Let us go, let us go," she exclaimed, in excitement, and confusion,
for she knew the meaning of that glance.
Very soon the lineika was swiftly rolling along the little-used road
across the steppes. The tall stems of the grass bent beneath the
wheels; the fresh breeze as it lightly touched the hair, made the
grasses wave on either side. Outside the town they overtook another
carriage containing Lialia, Yourii, Riasantzeff, Novikoff, Ivanoff and
Semenoff. They were cramped and uncomfortable, yet all were merry and
in high spirits. Only Yourii, after last night's talk, was puzzled by
Semenoff's behaviour. He could not understand how the latter could
laugh and joke like the others. After all that he had told him, such
mirth seemed strange. "Was it all put on?" he thought, as he furtively
glanced at Semenoff. He shrank from such an explanation. From both
carriages there was a lively interchange of wit and raillery. Novikoff
jumped down and ran races through the grass with Lida. Apparently there
was a tacit understanding between them to appear to be the best of
friends, for they kept merrily teasing each other all the time.
They now approached the hill on whose summit stood the convent with its
glittering cupolas and white stone walls. The hill was covered by
woods, and the curled tips of the oak-trees looked like wool. There
were oak-trees also on the islands at the foot of it, where the broad,
calm river flowed.