"Where are you going?" I inquired.

But, laughing gently, she flew over the ground. I of course hastened
after her, while behind us was a sound of voices--the aged one that
of Latkin, and the childish cry that of the deaf mute. Raissa went
straight to our house.

"What a day this has been!" I thought to myself as I tried to keep up
with the black dress that flew along in front of me.

Raissa ran past Wassily, my aunt, and even Trankwilhtatin, into the
room in which David was lying, and threw herself on his breast. "Oh,
oh, David!" came her voice forth from under her loosened hair.
And raising his arms he embraced her and let his head rest on her
shoulder.

"Forgive me, dear," I heard him say, and both nearly died with joy.

"But why did you go home, Raissa? Why didn't you wait?" I asked. She
still did not raise her head. "You might have seen that he was saved."

"Oh, I don't know, I don't know: don't ask me. I don't know: I can't
recall how I got home. I only remember I was looking into the air, and
a blow hit me; but that was--"

"A blow?" repeated David, and we all three burst out laughing, for we
were very happy.

"But what's going on here?" roared a threatening voice behind us,
the voice of my father. He was standing in the doorway. "Will these
monkey-tricks come to an end or not? Where are we living? In the
Russian empire or in the French republic?" He came into the room. "Let
any one who is turbulent and vicious begone to France.--And how do
you dare to enter here?" he asked of Raissa, who, rising a little
and turning her face toward him, was evidently alarmed, although she
continued to smile gently. "The daughter of my sworn enemy! How have
you dared? And to embrace him too! Away with you at once, or--"

"Uncle," said David, raising himself in bed, "don't insult Raissa: she
will go, but don't insult her."

"Will you order me about? I am not insulting her, I'm not _insulting_
her: I merely order her out of the house. I shall yet call you to
account. You have made away with another's property: you have laid
violent hands upon yourself; you have damaged--"

"What have I damaged?" interrupted David.

"What have you damaged? You have ruined your clothes: do you consider
that nothing? I had to give money to the people who brought you here.
You frightened the whole family, and you still put on your airs. And
this girl, who has lost all sense of shame and honor--"

David tried to spring from the bed: "