He knocked at the window.  She started as if she had received an electric shock, her whole body trembled, and a look of horror came into her face.  Then she jumped up, approached the window and brought her face up to the pane.  The look of terror did not leave her face even when, holding her hands up to her eyes like blinkers and peering through the glass, she recognised him.  Her face was unusually grave; he had never seen it so before.  She returned his smile, but only in submission to him; there was no smile in her soul, only fear.  He beckoned her with his hand to come out into the yard to him.  But she shook her head and remained by the window.  He brought his face close to the pane and was going to call out to her, but at that moment she turned to the door; evidently some one inside had called her.  Nekhludoff moved away from the window.  The fog was so dense that five steps from the house the windows could not be seen, but the light from the lamp shone red and huge out of a shapeless black mass.  And on the river the same strange sounds went on, sobbing and rustling and cracking and tinkling.  Somewhere in the fog, not far off, a cock crowed; another answered, and then others, far in the village took up the cry till the sound of the crowing blended into one, while all around was silent excepting the river.  It was the second time the cocks crowed that night.

Nekhludoff walked up and down behind the corner of the house, and once or twice got into a puddle.  Then again came up to the window.  The lamp was still burning, and she was again sitting alone by the table as if uncertain what to do.  He had hardly approached the window when she looked up.  He knocked.  Without looking who it was she at once ran out of the room, and he heard the outside door open with a snap.  He waited for her near the side porch and put his arms round her without saying a word.  She clung to him, put up her face, and met his kiss with her lips.  Then the door again gave the same sort of snap and opened, and the voice of Matrona Pavlovna called out angrily, “Katusha!”

She tore herself away from him and returned into the maids’ room.  He heard the latch click, and then all was quiet.  The red light disappeared and only the mist remained, and the bustle on the river went on.  Nekhludoff went up to the window, nobody was to be seen; he knocked, but got no answer.  He went back into the house by the front door, but could not sleep.  He got up and went with bare feet along the passage to her door, next Matrona Pavlovna’s room.  He heard Matrona Pavlovna snoring quietly, and was about to go on when she coughed and turned on her creaking bed, and his heart fell, and he stood immovable for about five minutes.  When all was quiet and she began to snore peacefully again, he went on, trying to step on the boards that did not creak, and came to Katusha’s door.  There was no sound to be heard.  She was probably awake, or else he would have heard her breathing.  But as soon as he had whispered “Katusha” she jumped up and began to persuade him, as if angrily, to go away.