As at the university they
were already for a long time talking about Lichonin's having saved
a girl from such and such a house; and that now he is taken up
with her moral regeneration; that rumour, naturally, also reached
the studying girls, who frequented the student circles. And so,
none other than Simanovsky once brought to Liubka two female
medicos, one historian, and one beginning poetess, who, by the
way, was already writing critical essays as well. He introduced
them in the most serious and fool-like manner.
"Here," he said, stretching out his hand, now in the direction of
the guests, now of Liubka, "here, comrades, get acquainted. You,
Liuba, will find in them real friends, who will help you on your
radiant path; while you--comrades, Liza, Nadya, Sasha and Rachel--
you will regard as elder sisters a being who has just struggled
out of that horrible darkness into which the social structure
places the modern woman."
He spoke not exactly so, perhaps; but in any case, approximately
in that manner. Liubka turned red, extended her hand, with all the
fingers clumsily folded together, to the young ladies in coloured
blouses and in leather belts; regaled them with tea and jam;
promptly helped them with lights for cigarettes; but, despite all
invitations, did not want to sit down for anything.
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