The Torrents Of Spring
The Torrents Of Spring
The Torrents Of Spring
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‘Well, do you like it?’ Maria Nikolaevna asked in a sort of exquisite<br />
whisper.<br />
‘I like it!’ Sanin echoed back ecstatically. And his blood was on fire.<br />
‘This isn’t all, wait a bit.’ She held out her hand. Her glove was torn<br />
across.<br />
‘I told you I would lead you to the forest, to the mountains… . Here<br />
they are, the mountains!’ <strong>The</strong> mountains, covered with tall forest, rose<br />
about two hundred feet from the place they had reached in their wild<br />
ride. ‘Look, here is the road; let us turn into it – and forwards. Only at a<br />
walk. We must let our horses get their breath.’<br />
<strong>The</strong>y rode on. With one vigorous sweep of her arm Maria Nikolaevna<br />
flung back her hair. <strong>The</strong>n she looked at her gloves and took them off.<br />
‘My hands will smell of leather,’ she said, ‘you won’t mind that, eh?’ …<br />
Maria Nikolaevna smiled, and Sanin smiled too. <strong>The</strong>ir mad gallop together<br />
seemed to have finally brought them together and made them<br />
friends.<br />
‘How old are you?’ she asked suddenly.<br />
‘Twenty-two.’<br />
‘Really? I’m twenty-two too. A nice age. Add both together and you’re<br />
still far off old age. It’s hot, though. Am I very red, eh?’<br />
‘Like a poppy!’<br />
Maria Nikolaevna rubbed her face with her handkerchief. ‘We’ve only<br />
to get to the forest and there it will be cool. Such an old forest is like an<br />
old friend. Have you any friends?’<br />
Sanin thought a little. ‘Yes … only few. No real ones.’<br />
‘I have; real ones – but not old ones. This is a friend too – a horse. How<br />
carefully it carries one! Ah, but it’s splendid here! Is it possible I am going<br />
to Paris the day after to-morrow?’<br />
‘Yes … is it possible?’ Sanin chimed in.<br />
‘And you to Frankfort?’<br />
‘I am certainly going to Frankfort.’<br />
‘Well, what of it? Good luck go with you! Anyway, to-day’s ours …<br />
ours … ours!’<br />
<strong>The</strong> horses reached the forest’s edge and pushed on into the forest.<br />
<strong>The</strong> broad soft shade of the forest wrapt them round on all sides.<br />
‘Oh, but this is paradise!’ cried Maria Nikolaevna. ‘Further, deeper into<br />
the shade, Sanin!’<br />
<strong>The</strong> horses moved slowly on, ‘deeper into the shade’, slightly swaying<br />
and snorting. <strong>The</strong> path, by which they had come in, suddenly turned off<br />
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