Page:Sologub Sweet Scented Name.djvu/161

 walked up to him briskly and resolutely, and then rather awkwardly held out to him her strong white arm. It was bare to the elbow.

She held her hand halfway high, as if to say "Shake it or kiss, which you please." Moshkin kissed. Pressing his lips till his teeth touched her hand, he made a loud and smacking kiss. She shuddered rather, but said nothing. She walked to the sofa, pushed aside a table, sat down, pointed to an armchair for him. He sat down. She questioned:

"That was your advertisement yesterday?"

He blurted:

"Mine."

He thought a minute and then answered more politely:

"Mi-ne."

And he felt vexed and thought again:

"To the devil, eh!"

She inquired what he could do, where he was brought up, where he had worked; so cautiously she approached the real question at issue that one might have thought she was waiting for something else to happen first.

At last it became clear. She wanted