She was broken in body and soul; she had faced reality at last and been
beaten by it. She suddenly turned away from him, buried her head in her
arm, as a tiny child does, and cried....
It was then that he discovered he loved her. He went to her, put his arm
round her, kissed her, stroked her hair, whispering little consoling
things to her. She suddenly collapsed, burying her head in his breast
and watering his waistcoat with her tears....
After that he seemed to be able to do anything with her that he pleased.
He whispered to her to go and get her hat, then her coat, then to hurry
up and come along.... As he gave these last commands he heard the door
open, turned and saw Masha, Grogoff's old witch of a servant, facing
him.
The scene that followed must have had its ludicrous side. The old woman
didn't scream or make any kind of noise, she simply asked him what he
was doing there; he answered that he was going out for a walk with the
mistress of the house. She said that he should do nothing of the kind.
He told her to stand away from the door. She refused to move. He then
rushed at her, caught her round the waist, and a most impossible
struggle ensued up and down the middle of the room.
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