Page:Sologub Sweet Scented Name.djvu/54

 began to play, and every one was silent. Mashenka, under the spell of the incomparable music, quickly forgot all about the tiresome person behind her.

In the next entr'acte Mashenka walked up and down the corridor with her friends, and did not think of the young man until she became conscious that he was walking behind and staring at her. For a long time afterwards she felt his gaze upon her neck, just on the line where the bare neck shows between the top of the white collar and the hair above it. It was so annoying and embarrassing that she didn't know what to do.

The entr'acte was at an end, and they were all crowding back through the narrow doors when Mashenka took advantage of the general noise and confusion to say to the student beside her:

"Do you know the young man next to us? His seat is just behind ours."

She spoke in a low voice so that the young man behind should not hear. But the student looked round and said aloud:

"No, I don't know him. Why do you ask?"

It was a little difficult to reply.

"He stares at me all the time," she whispered.