Sasha kissed her hand and he did it gracefully and with great pleasure to himself. At the same time he kissed Darya's hand and Valeria's--it was impossible to pass them by--and found this also very agreeable. All the more, since all three of them kissed his cheek. Darya kissed him loudly and indifferently, as though he were a board; Valeria kissed him gently, lowering her eyes with a sidelong glance, smiled slightly and barely brushed him with her light lips--touching his cheek with the faint colour of an apple--while Liudmilla gave him a gay, strong kiss. "He's my visitor," she announced, as she took Sasha by the shoulders and led him to her room. Darya was rather annoyed at this. "Ah, so he's yours. Well, you can go on kissing him!" she exclaimed. "You've found a treasure. As if anyone would want to take him away from you." Valeria said nothing but only smiled--it was not interesting, after all, to talk with a mere boy! What could he understand? Liudmilla's room was spacious, cheerful and very light, because of two large windows giving on to the garden; these were curtained with light, yellow tulle. There was a perfume in the room. Everything was neat and bright. The chairs and the arm-chairs were covered with a golden yellow chintz, marked with a white almost indistinguishable pattern. Various bottles of scents and scented waters, and small jars, boxes and fans and several Russian and French books lay about the room. "I saw you in a dream last night," Liudmilla began with a laugh. "You were swimming in the river and I was sitting on the bridge and I caught you with a fishing-rod." "And I suppose you put me in a little jar?" asked Sasha jokingly. "Why in a little jar?" "Where, then?" "Where? Why, I simply pulled you by the ears and threw you back in the water." And Liudmilla laughed for a long time. "You're a strange girl," said Sasha. "But what is it you were going to tell me to-day?" But Liudmilla went on laughing and did not reply. "I see you've fooled me," said he. "And you also promised to show me something," he said reproachfully. "I'll show you! Would you like something to eat?" asked Liudmilla. "I've had lunch," said Sasha. "But you are a deceiver." "As if I needed to deceive you! But what a strong smell of pomade?" Liudmilla suddenly exclaimed. Sasha blushed. "I can't stand pomade," said Liudmilla with annoyance. "You're smeared up like a young lady!" She ran her hand down his hair and struck his cheek with her grease-smeared palm. "Please don't you dare to use pomade," she said. Sasha felt flustered. "Very well, I won't do it," he said. "How severe you are! But you scent yourself with perfumes!" "Scents are one thing, but pomade is another, you stupid. A fine comparison!" exclaimed Liudmilla. "I never pomade myself. Why should one glue one's hair down! It's different with scents. Now, let me scent you. Would you like it? Let us say lilac. Would you like it?" "Yes, I would like it," said Sasha.