Page:Complete Works of Count Tolstoy - 01.djvu/223

Rh folds of his coat, as though this was absolutely necessary, and, puffing, sat down in his chair.

"Well, gentlemen," he said, rubbing his clammy hands against each other, "first we shall go over what was said in the previous lesson, and then I shall try to acquaint you with the next events of the Middle Ages."

This meant: Recite your lesson.

While Volódya answered him with a freedom and self-assurance peculiar to those who know their subject well, I, without any aim whatsoever, went out on the staircase, and, since it was not possible to go down-stairs, I quite naturally walked up to the landing, I had just intended to settle in my usual place of observation, when Mimi, who always was the cause of my misfortunes, suddenly bumped against me. "You are here?" she said, looking threateningly at me, then at the door of the maids' room, and then again at me.

I felt myself thoroughly guilty, both because I was not at the lesson, and because I found myself in such an improper place, so I kept silent and, lowering my head, presented a most pathetic picture of repentance.

"No, that passes all bounds!" said Mimi. "What were you doing here?" I kept silent. "No, that can't remain this way!" she repeated, striking the knuckles of her fingers against the balustrade of the staircase, "I shall tell everything to the countess."

It was five minutes to three, when I returned to the schoolroom. The teacher, acting as though he had not noticed my absence nor my presence, was explaining the next lesson to Volódya. When, after having finished his explanations, he began to fold up his note-books, and Volódya went into the other room to bring him his ticket, the joyful thought struck me that it was all over, and that I was forgotten.

But suddenly the teacher turned to me with a mischievous half-smile.