,BOOK #a1 ,*APT] #ag 
,NEKHLUD(F & ,KATU%A 

#ahiiahii 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TRANSLATOR 3 ,L\ISE ,MAUDE 

,TEXT 3 

,& SO ! EV5+ PASS$ & NI<T CAME4 ,! DOCTOR W5T TO B$4 ,NEKHLUD(F'S AUNTS HAD ALSO RETIR$1 & HE KNEW ?AT ,MATRONA ,PAVLOVNA WAS N[ ) !M 9 !IR B$ROOM SO ?AT ,KATU%A WAS SURE TO BE ALONE 9 ! MAIDS' SITT+-ROOM4 ,HE AGA9 W5T \T 9TO ! POR*4 ,IT WAS D>K1 DAMP & W>M \T ( DOORS1 & ?AT :ITE SPR+ MI/ :I* DRIVES AWAY ! LA/ SN[1 OR IS DIFFUS$ BY ! ?AW+ ( ! LA/ SN[1 FILL$ ! AIR4 ,FROM ! RIV] UND] ! HILL1 AB\T A HUNDR$ /EPS FROM ! FRONT DOOR1 CAME A /RANGE S\ND4 ,IT WAS ! ICE BREAK+4 ,NEKHLUD(F CAME D[N ! /EPS & W5T UP TO ! W9D[ ( ! MAIDS' ROOM1 /EPP+ OV] ! PUDDLES ON ! BITS ( GLAZ$ SN[4 ,HIS HE>T WAS BEAT+ SO FI]CELY 9 HIS BREA/ ?AT HE SEEM$ TO HE> IT1 HIS LABOR$ BREA? CAME & W5T 9 A BUR/ ( LONG-DRAWN SI<S4 ,9 ! MAIDS' ROOM A SMALL LAMP WAS BURN+1 & ,KATU%A SAT ALONE BY ! TABLE1 LOOK+ ?\<TFULLY 9 FRONT ( H]4 ,NEKHLUD(F /OOD A LONG TIME )\T MOV+ & WAIT$ TO SEE :AT %E1 NOT KN[+ ?AT %E WAS OBS]V$1 W\LD DO4 ,= A M9UTE OR TWO %E DID NOT MOVE2 !N %E LIFT$ H] EYES1 SMIL$ & %OOK H] HEAD AS IF *ID+ H]SELF1 !N *ANG$ H] POSE & DROPP$ BO? H] >MS ON ! TABLE & AGA9 BEGAN GAZ+ D[N 9 FRONT ( H]4 ,HE /OOD & LOOK$ AT H]1 9VOLUNT>ILY LI/5+ TO ! BEAT+ ( HIS [N HE>T & ! /RANGE S\NDS FROM ! RIV]4 ,!RE ON ! RIV]1 B5EA? ! :ITE MI/1 ! UNCEAS+ LABOR W5T ON1 & S\NDS AS ( SOME?+ SOBB+1 CRACK+1 DROPP+1 BE+ %ATT]$ TO PIECES MIX$ ) ! T9KL+ ( ! ?9 BITS ( ICE AS !Y BROKE AGA9/ EA* O!R LIKE GLASS4 

,!RE HE /OOD1 LOOK+ AT ,KATU%A'S S]I\S1 SUFF]+ FACE1 :I* BETRAY$ ! 9N] /RUGGLE ( H] S\L1 & HE FELT PITY = H]2 BUT1 /RANGE ?\< IT MAY SEEM1 ?IS PITY ONLY CONFIRM$ HIM 9 HIS EVIL 9T5TION4 

,HE KNOCK$ AT ! W9D[4 ,%E />T$ AS IF %E HAD RECEIV$ AN ELECTRIC %OCK1 H] :OLE BODY TREMBL$1 & A LOOK ( HORROR CAME 9TO H] FACE4 ,!N %E JUMP$ UP1 APPROA*$ ! W9D[ & BR\<T H] FACE UP TO ! PANE4 ,! LOOK ( T]ROR DID NOT LEAVE H] FACE EV5 :51 HOLD+ H] H&S UP TO H] EYES LIKE BL9K]S & PE]+ ?R\< ! GLASS1 %E RECOGNIZ$ HIM4 ,H] FACE WAS UNUSUALLY GRAVE2 HE HAD NEV] SE5 IT SO BE=E4 ,%E RETURN$ HIS SMILE1 BUT ONLY 9 SUBMISSION TO HIM2 !RE WAS NO SMILE 9 H] S\L1 ONLY FE>4 ,HE BECKON$ H] ) HIS H& TO COME \T 9TO ! Y>D TO HIM4 ,BUT %E %OOK H] HEAD & REMA9$ BY ! W9D[4 ,HE BR\<T HIS FACE CLOSE TO ! PANE & WAS GO+ TO CALL \T TO H]1 BUT AT ?AT MOM5T %E TURN$ TO ! DOOR2 EVID5TLY SOME ONE 9SIDE HAD CALL$ H]4 ,NEKHLUD(F MOV$ AWAY FROM ! W9D[4 ,! FOG WAS SO D5SE ?AT FIVE /EPS FROM ! H\SE ! W9D[S C\LD NOT BE SE51 BUT ! LI<T FROM ! LAMP %ONE R$ & HUGE \T ( A %APELESS BLACK MASS4 ,& ON ! RIV] ! SAME /RANGE S\NDS W5T ON1 SOBB+ & RU/L+ & CRACK+ & T9KL+4 ,SOME:]E 9 ! FOG1 NOT F> (F1 A COCK CR[$2 ANO!R ANSW]$1 & !N O!RS1 F> 9 ! VILLAGE TOOK UP ! CRY TILL ! S\ND ( ! CR[+ BL5D$ 9TO ONE1 :ILE ALL >\ND WAS SIL5T EXCEPT+ ! RIV]4 ,IT WAS ! SECOND TIME ! COCKS CR[$ ?AT NI<T4 

,NEKHLUD(F WALK$ UP & D[N BEH9D ! CORN] ( ! H\SE1 & ONCE OR TWICE GOT 9TO A PUDDLE4 ,!N AGA9 CAME UP TO ! W9D[4 ,! LAMP WAS /ILL BURN+1 & %E WAS AGA9 SITT+ ALONE BY ! TABLE AS IF UNC]TA9 :AT TO DO4 ,HE HAD H>DLY APPROA*$ ! W9D[ :5 %E LOOK$ UP4 ,HE KNOCK$4 ,)\T LOOK+ :O IT WAS %E AT ONCE RAN \T ( ! ROOM1 & HE HE>D ! \TSIDE DOOR OP5 ) A SNAP4 ,HE WAIT$ = H] NE> ! SIDE POR* & PUT HIS >MS R\ND H] )\T SAY+ A WORD4 ,%E CLUNG TO HIM1 PUT UP H] FACE1 & MET HIS KISS ) H] LIPS4 ,!N ! DOOR AGA9 GAVE ! SAME SORT ( SNAP & OP5$1 & ! VOICE ( ,MATRONA ,PAVLOVNA CALL$ \T ANGRILY1 0,KATU%A60 

,%E TORE H]SELF AWAY FROM HIM & RETURN$ 9TO ! MAIDS' ROOM4 ,HE HE>D ! LAT* CLICK1 & !N ALL WAS QUIET4 ,! R$ LI<T DISAPPE>$ & ONLY ! MI/ REMA9$1 & ! BU/LE ON ! RIV] W5T ON4 ,NEKHLUD(F W5T UP TO ! W9D[1 NOBODY WAS TO BE SE52 HE KNOCK$1 BUT GOT NO ANSW]4 ,HE W5T BACK 9TO ! H\SE BY ! FRONT DOOR1 BUT C\LD NOT SLEEP4 ,HE GOT UP & W5T ) B>E FEET ALONG ! PASSAGE TO H] DOOR1 NEXT TO ,MATRONA ,PAVLOVNA'S ROOM4 ,HE HE>D ,MATRONA ,PAVLOVNA SNOR+ QUIETLY1 & WAS AB\T TO GO ON :5 %E C\<$ & TURN$ ON H] CREAK+ B$1 & HIS HE>T FELL1 & HE /OOD IMMOVABLE = AB\T FIVE M9UTES4 ,:5 ALL WAS QUIET & %E BEGAN TO SNORE PEACEFULLY AGA91 HE W5T ON1 TRY+ TO /EP ON ! BO>DS ?AT DID NOT CREAK1 & CAME TO ,KATU%A'S DOOR4 ,!RE WAS NO S\ND TO BE HE>D4 ,%E WAS PROBABLY AWAKE1 OR ELSE HE W\LD HAVE HE>D H] BREA?+4 ,BUT AS SOON AS HE HAD :ISP]$ 0,KATU%A0 %E JUMP$ UP & BEGAN TO P]SUADE HIM1 AS IF ANGRILY1 TO GO AWAY4 

0,OP56 ,LET ME 9 JU/ = A MOM5T6 ,I IMPLORE Y\60 ,HE H>DLY KNEW :AT HE WAS SAY+4 

                   "9 "9 "9 "9 "9 "9 "9 

,:5 %E LEFT HIM1 TREMBL+ & SIL5T1 GIV+ NO ANSW] TO HIS WORDS1 HE AGA9 W5T \T 9TO ! POR* & /OOD TRY+ TO UND]/& ! MEAN+ ( :AT HAD HAPP5$4 

,IT WAS GETT+ LI<T]4 ,FROM ! RIV] BEL[ ! CREAK+ & T9KL+ & SOBB+ ( ! BREAK+ ICE CAME /ILL L\D] & A GURGL+ S\ND C\LD N[ ALSO BE HE>D4 ,! MI/ HAD BEGUN TO S9K1 & FROM ABOVE IT ! WAN+ MOON DIMLY LI<T$ UP SOME?+ BLACK & WEIRD4 

0,:AT WAS ! MEAN+ ( IT ALL8 ,WAS IT A GREAT JOY OR A GREAT MIS=TUNE ?AT HAD BEFALL5 HIM80 HE ASK$ HIMSELF4 

,FROM 3 ,!,AN>*I/,LIBR>Y4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahih 3 ,BOOK #a1 ,*APT] #ag -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,JANU>Y #a#b1 #bba 3 ,BOOK #a1 ,*APT] #ag -- ,ADD$4 

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