He clasped Liubka around the waist, and looked at her with kindly,
almost loving, eyes; although, the very same minute, he himself
thought that he was regarding her as a father or a brother.
Sleep was fearfully besetting Liubka; her eyes would close, and
she with an effort would open them wide, so as not to fall asleep
again; while on her lips lay the same naive, childish, tired
smile, which Lichonin had noticed still there, in the cabinet. And
out of one corner of her mouth ran a thin trickle of saliva.
"Liubka, my dear! My darling, much-suffering woman! Behold how
fine it is all around! Lord! Here it's five years that I haven't
seen the sunrise. Now play at cards, now drinking, now I had to
hurry to the university. Behold, my dearest, over there the dawn
has burst into bloom. The sun is near! This is your dawn,
Liubochka! This is your new life beginning. You will fearlessly
lean upon my strong arm. I shall lead you out upon the road of
honest toil, on the way to a brave combat with life, face to face
with it!"
Liubka eyed him askance. "There, the fumes are still playing in
his head," she thought kindly.
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