Outside Grogoff's flat
Lenin waited and rang the bell. Bohun waited on the floor below; then,
when he heard the door open, he noiselessly slipped up the stairs, and,
as Lenin entered, followed behind him whilst the old servant's back was
turned helping Lenin with his coat. He found, as he had hoped, a crowd
of cloaks and a Shuba hanging beside the door in the dark corner of the
wall. He crept behind these. He heard Lenin say to the servant that,
after all, he would not take off his coat, as he was leaving again
immediately. Then directly afterwards Grogoff came into the hall.
That was the moment of crisis. Did Grogoff go to the rack for his coat
and all was over; a very unpleasant scene must follow--a ludicrous
expulsion, a fling or two at the amiable habits of thieving and deceit
on the part of the British nation, and any hope of seeing Nina ruined
perhaps for ever. Worst of all, the ignominy of it! No young man likes
to be discovered hidden behind a coat-rack, however honest his original
intentions!
His heart beat to suffocation as he peeped between the coats.... Grogoff
was already wearing his own overcoat.
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