Night came on—or rather no, for what a night! Are there such nights in Petersburg in summer ? It was not night; one ought to have some other name for it—as half-light. Everything around was at peace. The Neva seemed asleep; sometimes, as though in sleep, it splashed in a slight ripple on the bank and then sank into silence. And then from somewhere came a belated breeze, and was wafted over the slumbering waters but could not waken them, and only rippled the surface and fanned a little freshness on to Nadinka and Alexandr, or brought them the sound of singing far away—and again all was silent, and again the Neva was motionless, like a man asleep who at some slight sound opens his eyes for a minute and at once shuts them again; and sleep settles all the heavier on his eyelids. Then from the direction of the bridge is heard as it were distant thunder and immediately after the barking of the watch-dog from the angling place near, and again all was stilL The trees formed a dark dome above, and scarcely and noiselessly waved their branches. The lights at the villas twinkled along the banks.
What is the special charm that haunts the warm air on such nights ? What is the secret wafted from flowers, from trees, from the grass, and floating with such inexplicable tenderness into the soul? Why aTe the thoughts, the emotions conceived within the soul then quite other than those conceived among noise, among one's fellows ? But what a moment for love in this slumber of nature, in darkness, among the silent trees, the sweet breathed flowers and solitude ! How powerfully it all attunes the soul to reveries, the heart to these rare emotions, which in the ordinary, regular stern realities of life seem such profitless, injudicious and ridiculous irregularities .... yes ! profitless, and yet at these instants only the soul dimly apprehends the possibility
of a happiness which at other times it seeks so zealously and never attains.
Alexandr and Nadinka walked up to the river and leaned on the fence. Nadinka gazed long at the Neva, into the distance deep in thought, Alexandr gazed at Nadinka. Their souls were filled full of happiness, their hearts of a sweet and yet painful ache, but the tongue was silent.
Alexandr gently touched her waist. She gently pushed away his hand with her elbow. He touched her again, she repelled him more feebly, not taking her eyes from the Neva. The third time she did not repell him.
He took her by the hand—she did not take away her hand ; he pressed it; the hand answered his pressure. So they stood in silence; but what were they feeling!
" Nadinka!" he said softly.
She was silent.
Alexandr bent over her, his heart swooning with rapture. She felt his burning breath on her cheek, shivered, turned away and—did not run away in righteous indignation, did not scream! She had not the force to dissemble and run away; the power of love kept reason silent, and when Alexandras lips fastened on hers, she answered his kiss, though weakly, scarcely perceptibly. ^ "
" Oh, how happy man may be !" said Alexandr to himself, and again bent over her lips and stayed so for some seconds.
She stood pale, motionless, tears glittering on her eyelashes, her bosom panting violently and convulsively.
" It is like a dream ! " murmured Alexandr. Suddenly Nadinka started, the minute of oblivion had passed.
" What does this mean ? you have forgotten yourself," she said, flinging herself a few steps away from him. " I will tell mamma!"
Alexandr fell from heaven.
" Nadyezhda Alexandrovna, don't destroy my happiness with reproaches," he began; " don't be like "
She looked at him and all at once laughed aloud, gaily, went up to him again, and again stood at the fence and confidingly leaned her hands and her head on his shoulder.
" So you love me so much ? " she asked, wiping away a tear that had fallen on her cheek.
Alexandr made an indescribable motion of the shoulders.
In silence they looked as before at the water and at the sky and at the distance, as though nothing had passed between them. Only they were afraid to look at one another; at last they looked, smiled, and at once turned away again.
" Can there be sorrow in the world ? " said Nadinka, after a pause.
"They say there is," replied Adouev, thoughtfully, "but I don't believe it."
" What sorrow can there be ? " " Uncle says—poverty."
" Poverty! do the poor not feel as we do now; if they do, they are not poor."
" Uncle says that it's not so with them—they want to eat and drink."
" Ugh! eat! Your uncle does not tell the truth; they may be happy without that; I have had no dinner to-day, but how happy I am!" He laughed.
" Ah, at this minute I would give everything to the poor, yes, everything!" Nadinka went on, "only let the poor come. Ah ! why can I not comfort and delight every one with pleasure of some kind ? "
" Angel, angel! " Alexandr uttered rapturously, pressing her hand.
" Oh, how horribly you pinch me!" Nadinka interrupted suddenly, frowning and taking away her hand.
But he seized the hand again and began to kiss it with warmth.
" How I will pray," she continued, " to-day, to-morrow, always, in thankfulness for this evening. How happy I am! And you ? " >
Suddenly she grew thoughtful; there was a gleam of fear in her eyes.
" Do you know," she said, "they say that what has been once can never return again ! Can it be that this minute will never return ? "
" Oh, no," answered Alexandr, " it is not true; it will
return ! there will be happier minutes still; yes, I feel it! "
She shook her head incredulously. And his uncle's
lessons came into his head, and he came to a pause
suddenly.
" No," he said to himself, " no, that can never be! uncle knew nothing of such happiness, that is why he is so stern and suspicious with people. Poor fellow! I am sorry for his dry, cold heart: it has never known the intoxication of love; of course that's the reason of his jaundiced railings against life. God forgive him! If he had seen my bliss, even he would not have tried to destroy it, he would not have insulted it by his impure doubts. I am sorry for him."
" No, Nadinka, no, we will be happy I" he went on aloud. " Look round ; are not all things here rejoicing looking on at our love ? God Himself blesses it. How gaily we shall go through life hand in hand 1 We shall be proud, great in mutuallove 1'"
"Oh, stop, stop looking forward 1" she interposed. " Don't prophesy; I begin to be afraid when you talk so. And now I feel sad."
"What are you afraid of? Cannot you believe in yourself?"
" No, I can't, I can't!" she said, shaking her head. He looked at her and grew thoughtful.
" Why ? " he began again, " what can destroy this world of our happiness ? Who can interfere with us ? We will always be alone, we will withdraw ourselves from others; what have we to do with them ? and what have they to do with us ? They will not remember us, they will forget us, and then the rumours of sorrow and troubles will not trouble us, just as now here in the garden no sound disturbs the heavenly peace."
"Nadinka! Alexandr Fedoritch!" was suddenly heard from the steps, " where are you ? "
"Listen!" said Nadinka in prophetic tones, "it's an omen of fate; this minute will not return again—I feel it."
She seized his hand, squeezed it and looked at him somewhat strangely, mournfully, and suddenly rushed off into the dark avenue.
He stood alone musing.
" Alexandr Fedoritch!" sounded again from the steps, " the curds have been on the table a long while."
He shrugged his shoulders and went into the room.
"At the instant of ineffable bliss—all of a sudden
_r
curds!!" he said to Nadinka, " Will it be always so in life?"
" I only hope it won't be worse," she answered gaily; " curds are a very nice thing, especially for any one who has had no dinner."