Sasha laughed, gave a slight scream and thrust out his tongue, curving it in the shape of a tube. Liudmilla rose, and began to turn over Sasha's school books. "May I look?" she asked. "Of course," said Sasha. "Where are your ones and your noughts? Show me." "I haven't yet had any such thing," said Sasha with an injured look. "No, you're fibbing," asserted Liudmilla. "I'm sure you get noughts. You must have hidden them." Sasha smiled. "I'm sure you're bored with Latin and Greek," said Liudmilla. "No," answered Sasha, but it was evident that the mere conversation about school-books would bring upon him their habitual tediousness. "It is a little boring to learn mechanically," he admitted. "But I have a good memory. I only like solving problems--that I like." "Come to me to-morrow after lunch," said Liudmilla. "Thank you, I will," said Sasha blushing. He felt very happy that Liudmilla had invited him. Liudmilla asked: "Do you know where I live? Will you come there?" "Yes, I know. I'll come there," said Sasha happily. "Now, be sure to come," repeated Liudmilla sternly. "I'll wait for you, do you hear!" "But suppose I should have a lot of lessons?" asked Sasha, more from scruple than from any idea that he would not come because of his lessons. "That's all nonsense. You must come," insisted Liudmilla. "They won't give you a nought." "But why?" asked Sasha laughingly. "Because you've got to come. Come, for I've something to tell you and something to show you," said Liudmilla dancing about and humming a song, and lifting her skirt as she did so, and playfully sticking out her pink little fingers. "Come to me, sweet one, sober one, golden one," she sang. Sasha began to laugh. "You'd better tell me to-day," he entreated. "I mustn't to-day. And how can I tell you to-day? You won't come to-morrow if I do. You'll say there's nothing to come for." "Very well, I'll come without fail, if they'll let me." "Of course they'll let you. No one's holding you on a chain." When she said good-bye, Liudmilla kissed Sasha's forehead, and put her hand to his lips--he had to kiss it. And Sasha was happy to kiss again her white, gentle hand--and a little shy. And why not? But Liudmilla, as she left, smiled archly and tenderly. And she looked back several times. "How charming she is," thought Sasha. He was left alone. "How soon she left," he thought. "She suddenly went and it's hard to realise that she's gone. She might have stayed a little longer." And he felt ashamed that he had not offered to escort her. "It wouldn't have been a bad idea to walk along with her," he thought. "Shall I run after her? Has she gone far, I wonder. Perhaps if I run fast I might overtake her." "But perhaps she would laugh," he continued to himself. "And besides she might not like it."