Page:The Kiss and Other Stories by Anton Tchekhoff, 1908.pdf/268

 against one another, came to the shed where Olga lay with Marya.

“Leave her alone!” reasoned the old man, “Leave her. She's not a bad sort. . . . It's a sin. . . .”

“Ma-arya!” roared Kiriak.

“Stop ! It's sinful. . . . She's not a bad sort.”

The two men stood a moment by the shed and went away.

“I love wild flowers. . .” sang the old man in a high, piercing tenor. “I love to pull them in the fields!”

After this he spat, blasphemed, and went into the hut.

IV

Grandmother stationed Sasha in the kitchen garden, and ordered her to keep off the geese. It was a hot August day. The innkeeper's geese could get into the kitchen garden by the back way, but at present they were busy picking up oats near the inn and quietly conversing, though the old gander stood aloof, his head raised as if to make sure that grandmother was not coming with her stick. The other geese could also get into the garden; but these were feeding far across the river, and, like a big white garland, stretched across the meadow. Sasha watched a short time, and