“Let me in,” she shouted to the little boy as she again crept under the wagon. “Is this the place for a Cossack—with the girls? Go away!” When alone under the wagon with her friend, Ústenka suddenly put both her arms round her, and clinging close to her began kissing her cheeks and neck. “Darling, sweetheart,” she kept repeating, between bursts of shrill, clear laughter. “Why, you’ve learnt it from Grandad,” said Maryánka, struggling. “Stop it!” And they both broke into such peals of laughter that Maryánka’s mother shouted to them to be quiet. “Are you jealous?” asked Ústenka in a whisper. “What humbug! Let me sleep. What have you come for?” But Ústenka kept on, “I say! But I wanted to tell you such a thing.” Maryánka raised herself on her elbow and arranged the kerchief which had slipped off. “Well, what is it?” “I know something about your lodger!” “There’s nothing to know,” said Maryánka. “Oh, you rogue of a girl!” said Ústenka, nudging her with her elbow and laughing. “Won’t tell anything. Does he come to you?” “He does. What of that?” said Maryánka with a sudden blush. “Now I’m a simple lass. I tell everybody. Why should I pretend?” said Ústenka, and her bright rosy face suddenly became pensive. “Whom do I hurt? I love him, that’s all about it.” “Grandad, do you mean?” “Well, yes!” “And the sin?” “Ah, Maryánka! When is one to have a good time if not while one’s still free? When I marry a Cossack I shall bear children and shall have cares. There now, when you get married to Lukáshka not even a thought of joy will enter your head: children will come, and work!” “Well? Some who are married live happily. It makes no difference!” Maryánka replied quietly. “Do tell me just this once what has passed between you and Lukáshka?” “What has passed? A match was proposed. Father put it off for a year, but now it’s been settled and they’ll marry us in autumn.” “But what did he say to you?” Maryánka smiled. “What should he say? He said he loved me. He kept asking me to come to the vineyards with him.” “Just see what pitch! But you didn’t go, did you? And what a dare-devil he has become: the first among the braves. He makes merry out there in the army too! The other day our Kírka came home; he says: ‘What a horse Lukáshka’s got in exchange!’ But all the same I expect he frets after you. And what else did he say?” “Must you know everything?” said Maryánka laughing. “One night he came to my window tipsy, and asked me to let him in.” “And you didn’t let him?” “Let him, indeed! Once I have said a thing I keep to it firm as a rock,” answered Maryánka seriously. “A fine fellow! If he wanted her, no girl would refuse him.” “Well, let him go to the others,” replied Maryánka proudly. “You don’t pity him?” “I do pity him, but I’ll have no nonsense. It is wrong.”