I will, I will be open; I will tell you the whole truth. To hide it from you is so hard, so agonizing. Misail, I love . . .鈥� she went on in a whisper, I love him . . . I love him. . . . I am happy, but why am I so frightened?鈥�

chapter 14

I was making my way to my hostess; I had to pay my respects to her, but suddenly everyone said Hush!鈥� and waved me to step quietly. There was a silence. The lid of the piano was raised; a lady sat down at it screwing up her short-sighted eyes at the music, and my Masha walked up to the piano, in a low-necked dress, looking beautiful, but with a special, new sort of beauty not in the least like the Masha who used to come and meet me in the spring at the mill. She sang: Why do I love the radiant night?鈥�