The Torrents Of Spring

XLI
Such were Sanin’s thoughts, as he went to bed; but what he thought next
morning when Maria Nikolaevna knocked impatiently at his door with
the coral handle of her riding-whip, when he saw her in the doorway,
with the train of a dark-blue riding habit over her arm, with a man’s
small hat on her thickly coiled curls, with a veil thrown back over her
shoulder, with a smile of invitation on her lips, in her eyes, over all her
face – what he thought then – history does not record.
‘Well? are you ready?’ rang out a joyous voice.
Sanin buttoned his coat, and took his hat in silence. Maria Nikolaevna
flung him a bright look, nodded to him, and ran swiftly down the staircase.
And he ran after her.
The horses were already waiting in the street at the steps. There were
three of them, a golden chestnut thorough-bred mare, with a thin-lipped
mouth, that showed the teeth, with black prominent eyes, and legs like a
stag’s, rather thin but beautifully shaped, and full of fire and spirit, for
Maria Nikolaevna; a big, powerful, rather thick-set horse, raven black all
over, for Sanin; the third horse was destined for the groom. Maria
Nikolaevna leaped adroitly on to her mare, who stamped and wheeled
round, lifting her tail, and sinking on to her haunches. But Maria
Nikolaevna, who was a first-rate horse-woman, reined her in; they had
to take leave of Polozov, who in his inevitable fez and in an open
dressing-gown, came out on to the balcony, and from there waved a batiste
handkerchief, without the faintest smile, rather a frown, in fact, on
his face. Sanin too mounted his horse; Maria Nikolaevna saluted Polozov
with her whip, then gave her mare a lash with it on her arched and flat
neck. The mare reared on her hind legs, made a dash forward, moving
with a smart and shortened step, quivering in every sinew, biting the air
and snorting abruptly. Sanin rode behind, and looked at Maria
Nikolaevna; her slender supple figure, moulded by close-fitting but easy
stays, swayed to and fro with self-confident grace and skill. She turned
her head and beckoned him with her eyes alone. He came alongside of
her.
‘See now, how delightful it is,’ she said. ‘I tell you at the last, before
parting, you are charming, and you shan’t regret it.’
As she uttered those last words, she nodded her head several times as
if to confirm them and make him feel their full weight.
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