Page:Leskov - The Sentry and other Stories.djvu/121

 Rh "Alone?" asked Sergei, looking at her askance.

"Alone," she answered in a whisper, "what then?"

Their eyes seemed to flash lightning glances to each other, but neither said a word.

Katerina Lvovna went down, and passed through the empty rooms; it was quiet everywhere; the lamps glimmered quietly before the icons; only her own shadow ran along the walls; the closed shutters had made the windows thaw, and the water was dripping from them. Fedia was sitting reading. When he saw Katerina Lvovna he only said:

"Auntie, put this book away, please, and give me that other one from the icon shelf."

Katerina Lvovna did what her nephew asked, and gave him the other book.

"Fedia, don't you want to go to sleep?"

"No, auntie, I want to wait for Granny."

"Why should you wait for her?"

"She promised to bring me a consecrated loaf from Vespers."

Katerina Lvovna suddenly became pale; her own child had moved under her heart, for the first time and a cold feeling passed over her breast. She stood for a time in the middle of the room, and then went out rubbing her cold hands.

"Well," she whispered, quietly entering her