The clamour in the Club had already begun to calm down, but the evening terminated in a new calamity. While they were tussling with the Geisha in the corridor, the flaming nedotikomka, jumping on the lustres, laughed and insistently whispered to Peredonov that he should strike a match and let loose her, the flaming but confined nedotikomka on these dingy, dirty walls, and, when she had gorged herself with the destruction of this building where such terrible and incomprehensible deeds were happening, then she would leave Peredonov unmolested. And Peredonov could not resist her importunate whisper. He entered the little dining-room which was next to the dancing-hall. It was empty. Peredonov looked around, struck a match, put it to the window curtain at the floor and waited till the hangings caught fire. The flaming nedotikomka, like an active little snake, crept up the curtain, squealing softly and happily. Peredonov walked out of the dining-room, closing the door behind him. No one noticed the incendiary. The fire was only seen from the street when the whole room was in flames. The fire spread quickly. The people escaped--but the Club House was burnt down. On the next day the town talked of nothing but the Geisha affair and the fire. Bengalsky kept his word and told no one that the Geisha was a disguised boy. As for Sasha he had redressed himself that night at Routilovs and, turning once more into a simple barefoot boy, ran home, crept through the window and went quietly to sleep. In the town, seething with slanders, in the town where everyone knew everything about everyone, Sasha's nocturnal adventure remained a secret. For long, but, of course, not for always. CHAPTER XXXI Ekaterina Ivanovna Pilnikova, Sasha's aunt and guardian, received simultaneously two letters about Sasha--one from the Head-Master and the other from Kokovkina. These letters greatly alarmed her. She put all her affairs aside and drove at once from her village through the muddy autumn roads to our town. Sasha, who loved his aunt, met her with great joy. His aunt came with the intention of rating him soundly. But he threw himself on her neck with such gladness and kissed her hands so affectionately that she could not at first speak severely to him. "Dear Auntie, how good of you to come!" said Sasha, and looked happily at her full, rosy face with its kind dimples on the cheeks and its grave, hazel eyes. "You'd better postpone your pleasure, I must scold you first," said his aunt in an irresolute voice. "I don't mind that," said Sasha indifferently, "scold me, if you have anything to scold me for, but still I'm terribly glad to see you!" "Terribly?" she repeated in a displeased voice. "I've been hearing terrible things about you." Sasha lifted his eyebrows and looked at his aunt with innocent, uncomprehending eyes.