Viktor languidly held out his hand, took the flowers, carelessly sniffed at them, and began twirling them in his fingers, looking upwards. Akulina watched him.... In her mournful eyes there was such tender devotion, adoring submission and love. She was afraid of him, and did not dare to cry, and was saying good-bye to him and admiring him for the last time; while he lay, lolling like a sultan, and with magnanimous patience and condescension put up with her adoration. I must own, I glared indignantly at his red face, on which, under the affectation of scornful indifference, one could discern vanity soothed and satisfied. Akulina was so sweet at that instant; her whole soul was confidingly and passionately laid bare before him, full of longing and caressing tenderness, while he... he dropped the corn-flowers on the grass, pulled out of the side pocket of his coat a round eye-glass set in a brass rim, and began sticking it in his eye; but however much he tried to hold it with his frowning eyebrow, his pursed-up cheek and nose, the eye-glass kept tumbling out and falling into his hand. 'What is it?' Akulina asked at last in wonder. 'An eye-glass,' he answered with dignity. 'What for?' 'Why, to see better.' 'Show me.' Viktor scowled, but gave her the glass. 'Don't break it; look out.' 'No fear, I won't break it.' (She put it to her eye.) 'I see nothing,' she said innocently. 'But you must shut your eye,' he retorted in the tones of a displeased teacher. (She shut the eye before which she held the glass.) 'Not that one, not that one, you fool! the other!' cried Viktor, and he took away his eye-glass, without allowing her to correct her mistake. Akulina flushed a little, gave a faint laugh, and turned away. 'It's clear it's not for the likes of us,' she said. 'I should think not, indeed!' The poor girl was silent and gave a deep sigh. 'Ah, Viktor Alexandritch, what it will be like for me to be without you!' she said suddenly. Victor rubbed the glass on the lappet of his coat and put it back in his pocket. 'Yes, yes,'he said at last, 'at first it will be hard for you, certainly.' (He patted her condescendingly on the shoulder; she softly took his hand from her shoulder and timidly kissed it.) 'There, there, you're a good girl, certainly,' he went on, with a complacent smile; 'but what's to be done? You can see for yourself! me and the master could never stay on here; it will soon be winter now, and winter in the country--you know yourself--is simply disgusting. It's quite another thing in Petersburg! There there are simply such wonders as a silly girl like you could never fancy in your dreams! Such horses and streets, and society, and civilisation--simply marvellous!...' (Akulina listened with devouring attention, her lips slightly parted, like a child.) 'But what's the use,' he added, turning over on the ground, 'of my telling you all this? Of course, you can't understand it!'