d felt his intent looks with pleasure.

Chapter XXX

Although there was no escape from the heat and the mosquitoes swarmed
in the cool shadow of the wagons, and her little brother tossing about
beside her kept pushing her, Maryanka having drawn her kerchief over
her head was just falling asleep, when suddenly their neighbour Ustenka
came running towards her and, diving under the wagon, lay down beside
her.

'Sleep, girls, sleep!' said Ustenka, making herself comfortable under
the wagon. 'Wait a bit,' she exclaimed, 'this won't do!'

She jumped up, plucked some green branches, and stuck them through the
wheels on both sides of the wagon and hung her beshmet over them.

'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, Ustenka 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 Maryanka, struggling. 'Stop
it!'

And they both broke into such peals of laughter that Maryanka's mother
shouted to them to be quiet.

'Are you jealous?' asked Ustenka in a whisper.

'What humbug! Let me sleep. What have you come for?'

But Ustenka kept on, 'I say! But I wanted to tell you such a thing.'

Maryanka 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 Maryanka.

'Oh, you rogue of a girl!' said Ustenka, nudging her with her elbow and
laughing. 'Won't tell anything. Does he come to you?'

'He does. What of that?' said Maryanka with a sudden blush.

'Now I'm a simple lass. I tell everybody. Why should I pretend?' said
Ustenka, 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, Maryanka! 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 Lukashka 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!'
Maryanka replied quietly.

'Do tell me just this once what has pas