Page:Leskov - The Sentry and other Stories.djvu/123



HE sick boy shuddered and dropped the book on his knees, when Katerina Lvovna entered his room for the third time.

"What is it, Fedia?"

"Oh, auntie, something frightened me," answered he, with a troubled smile, and cowered into a corner of the bed.

"What frightened you?"

"Who came with you, auntie?"

"Where? Nobody came with me, darling."

"Nobody?"

The boy stretched himself towards the foot of the bed, and screwing up his eyes looked towards the door through which his aunt had entered, and seemed to be re-assured.

"I must have imagined it," said he.

Katerina Lvovna stopped and leaned against the head of her nephew's bed.

Fedia looked up at his aunt, and remarked to her that she had for some reason grown quite pale.

In answer to this observation, Katerina Lvovna only pretended to cough, and looked expectantly