There, grab!"
Roly-Poly neatly caught in its flight the thrown fifteen-kopeck
piece; made a comical curtsey and, pulling down the uniform cap
with the green edging at a slant over his eyes, vanished.
The tall, old Henrietta walked up to the cadets, also asked for a
smoke and, having yawned, said:
"If only you young people would dance a bit--for as it is the young
ladies sit and sit, just croaking from weariness."
"If you please, if you please!" agreed Kolya. "Play a waltz and
something else of the sort."
The musicians began to play. The girls started to whirl around
with one another, ceremoniously as usual, with stiffened backs and
with eyes modestly cast down.
Kolya Gladishev, who was very fond of dancing, could not hold out
and invited Tamara; he knew even from the previous winter that she
danced more lightly and skillfully than the rest. While he was
twirling in the waltz, the stout head-conductor, skillfully making
his way between the couples, slipped away unperceived through the
drawing room. Kolya did not have a chance to notice him.
No matter how Verka pressed Petrov, she could not, in any way,
drag him off his place.
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