yss was formed over which it seemed to him impossible to
cross. Now he would have come out into the light but he was afraid--it
was impossible; all was lost. And the music was still playing, and
everybody had forgotten him, even mamma. He was alone. There was a
breath of cold from the dewy grass; the gooseberry bush scratched him,
the darkness could not be pierced with his eyes, and there was no end to
it. O Lord!

Without any definite plan, in a state of utter despair, Yura now crawled
toward a mysterious, faintly blinking light. Fortunately it turned out
to be the same arbour which was covered with wild grapes and in which
father and mother had sat that day. He did not recognise it at first!
Yes, it was the same arbour. The lights of the lanterns everywhere had
gone out, and only two were still burning; a yellow little lantern was
still burning brightly, and the other, a yellow one, too, was already
beginning to blink. And though there was no wind, that lantern quivered
from its own blinking, and everything seemed to quiver slightly. Yura
was about to get up to go into the arbour and there begin life anew,
with an imperceptible transition from the old, when suddenly he heard
voices in the arbour. His mother and the wrong Yura Mikhailovich, the
officer, were talking. The right Yura grew petrified in his place; his
heart stood still; and his breathing ceased.

Mamma said:

"Stop. You have lost your mind! Somebody may come in here."

Yura Mikhailovich said:

"And you?"

Mamma said:

"I am twenty-six years old to-day. I am old!"

Yura Mikhailovich said:

"He does not know anything. Is it possible that he does not know
anything? He does not even suspect? Listen, does he shake everybody's
hand so firmly?"

Mamma said:

"What a question! Of course he does! That is--no, not everybody."

Yura Mikhailovich said:

"I feel sorry for him."

Mamma said:

"For him?"

And she laughed strangely. Yurochka understood that they were talking
of him, of Yurochka--but what did it all mean, O Lord? And why did she
laugh?

Yura Mikhailovich said:

"Where are you going? I will not let you go."

Mamma said:

"You offend me. Let me go! No, you have no right to kiss me. Let me go!"

They became silent. Now Yurochka looked through the leaves and saw that
the officer embraced and kissed mamma. Then they spoke of something, but
he understood nothing; he heard nothing; he suddenly forgot the meaning
of words. And he eve