I've heard it said, that now
there are many clean boys among the young people. I believe this,
though I haven't seen, haven't met them, myself. But all those I
have seen are all vagabonds, nasty brutes and skunks. Not so long
ago I read some novel of our miserable life. It's almost the same
thing as I'm telling you now."
Vanda came back. She slowly, carefully, sat down on the edge of
Jennka's bed; there, where the shadow of the lamp fell. Out of
that deep, though deformed psychical delicacy, which is peculiar
to people sentenced to death, prisoners at hard labour, and
prostitutes, none had the courage to ask her how she had passed
this hour and a half. Suddenly she threw upon the table twenty-
five roubles and said:
"Bring me white wine and a watermelon."
And, burying her face in her arms, which had sunk on the table,
she began to sob inaudibly. And again no one took the liberty of
putting any question to her. Only Jennka grew pale from wrath and
bit her lower lip so that a row of white spots was left upon it.
"Yes," she said; "here, now, I understand Tamara.
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