Page:Best Russian Short Stories.djvu/330

46 "I cannot help myself! My God, I cannot help myself!"

And, with swinging head, she said to herself that she had drunk too much, and was crawling around on the wet ground,. . . but they gave her wine to drink, and wine again, and still more wine. And from her heart arose the laugh of the drunkard and the desire to abandon herself to a wild dance;. . . but they kept on lifting cups to her lips, one after another, one after another.