And a half, because there are such five, six, and
seven-story profitable houses, packed to overflowing and cheap, on
top of which are erected still other sorry bug-breeders of roof
iron, something in the nature of mansards; or more exactly, bird-
houses, in which it is fearfully cold in winter, while in the
summer time it is just as torrid as in the tropics. Liubka with
difficulty clambered upward. It seemed to her that now, now, two
steps more, and she would drop straight down on the steps and fall
into a sleep from which nothing would be able to wake her. But
Lichonin was saying all the time:
"My dear! I can see you are tired. But that's nothing. Lean upon
me. We are going upwards all the time! Always higher and higher!
Is this not a symbol of all human aspirations? My comrade, my
sister, lean upon my arm!"
Here it became still worse for poor Liubka. As it was, she could
barely go up alone, but here she also had to drag in tow Lichonin,
who had grown extremely heavy. And his weight would not really
have mattered; his wordiness, however, was beginning to irritate
her little by little.
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