Page:The Novels of Ivan Turgenev (volume X).djvu/159

Rh one another on. And then the thought came to me that men, such as these birds — in Russia — nay, in the whole world, are few. 'We are flying towards Russia now,' observed Alice. I noticed now, not for the first time, that she almost always knew what I was thinking of. 'Would you like to go back?' 'Let us go back. . . or no! I have been in Paris; take me to Petersburg.' 'Now?' 'At once. . . . Only wrap my head in your veil, or it will go ill with me.' Alice raised her hand. . . but before the mist enfolded me, I had time to feel on my lips the contact of that soft, dull sting. . ..

!' sounded in my ears a long drawn out cry. 'Li-i-isten!' was echoed back with a sort of desperation in the distance. 'Li-i-isten!' died away somewhere far, far away. I started. A tall golden spire flashed on my eyes; I recognised the fortress of St. Peter and St. Paul. A northern, pale night! But was it night at all? Was it not rather a pallid, sickly