Page:Complete Works of Count Tolstoy - 01.djvu/250

214 time when Nikoláy had definitely refused him the hand of his niece, he had gone on a protracted spree from sorrow, and frequented inns and was riotous in his behaviour, — in short, he acted so outrageously that he often was subjected to humiliating punishments at the police station. But these actions of his and their consequences seemed to constitute a special merit in Másha's eyes, and only increased her love for him. Whenever Vasíli was retained in the lockup, Másha cried for days at a time and did not dry her tears; she complained of her bitter fate to Gásha, who took a lively part in the affairs of the unfortunate lovers, and paying no attention to her uncle's scolding and beating, she stealthily ran to the police station to visit and comfort her friend.

Reader, do not look with contempt upon the society to which I am introducing you! If the strings of love and sympathy have not slackened in your souls, you will find sounds in the maids' chamber to which they will respond. Whether you like to follow me or not, I betake myself to the landing on the staircase, from which I can see everything that takes place in the room. There is the ovenbench, upon which stands a flat-iron, a papier-maché doll with a broken nose, a wash-basin, and a pitcher; there is the window, upon which lies in disorder a bit of black wax, a skein of silk, a half-eaten green cucumber and a candy box; there is a large red table, upon which a chintz-covered brick is placed over a new piece of sewing.

It was here that Másha sat, wearing my favourite, rose-coloured gingham dress and blue kerchief, which particularly attracted my attention. She was sewing, and stopped, now and then, to scratch her head with the needle, or to fix the candle. I looked at her and thought: Why was she not born a lady with those bright blue eyes, immense auburn braid and high breast? How well she would look in a sitting-room in a cap with rose-coloured ribbons and in a crimson capote, not such as Mimi