She soon left off crying.  With tears glistening on her eyelashes, sitting on Orlov’s knee, she told him in a low voice something touching, something like a reminiscence of childhood and youth.  She stroked his face, kissed him, and carefully examined his hands with the rings on them and the charms on his watch-chain.  She was carried away by what she was saying, and by being near the man she loved, and probably because her tears had cleared and refreshed her soul, there was a note of wonderful candour and sincerity in her voice.  And Orlov played with her chestnut hair and kissed her hands, noiselessly pressing them to his lips.

Then they had tea in the study, and Zinaida Fyodorovna read aloud some letters.  Soon after midnight they went to bed.  I had a fearful pain in my side that night, and I not get warm or go to sleep till morning.  I could hear Orlov go from the bedroom into his study.  After sitting there about an hour, he rang the bell.  In my pain and exhaustion I forgot all the rules and conventions, and went to his study in my night attire, barefooted.  Orlov, in his dressing-gown and cap, was standing in the doorway, waiting for me.

“When you are sent for you should come dressed,” he said sternly.  “Bring some fresh candles.”

I was about to apologise, but suddenly broke into a violent cough, and clutched at the side of the door to save myself from falling.

“Are you ill?” said Orlov.

I believe it was the first time of our acquaintance that he addressed me not in the singular—­goodness knows why.  Most likely, in my night clothes and with my face distorted by coughing, I played my part poorly, and was very little like a flunkey.

“If you are ill, why do you take a place?” he said.

“That I may not die of starvation,” I answered.

“How disgusting it all is, really!” he said softly, going up to his table.

While hurriedly getting into my coat, I put up and lighted fresh candles.  He was sitting at the table, with feet stretched out on a low chair, cutting a book.

I left him deeply engrossed, and the book did not drop out of his hands as it had done in the evening.

VII

Now that I am writing these lines I am restrained by that dread of appearing sentimental and ridiculous, in which I have been trained from childhood; when I want to be affectionate or to say anything tender, I don’t know how to be natural.  And it is that dread, together with lack of practice, that prevents me from being able to express with perfect clearness what was passing in my soul at that time.

I was not in love with Zinaida Fyodorovna, but in the ordinary human feeling I had for her, there was far more youth, freshness, and joyousness than in Orlov’s love.