ascinating that
they were even funny.

When they dressed Yura in a red silk rustling blouse, and he thus
clearly became part of the festival, and he found on the terrace a long,
snow white table glittering with glass dishes, he again commenced to
spin about in the whirlpool of the onrushing events.

"The musicians have arrived! The musicians have arrived!" he cried,
looking for father or mother, or for any one who would treat the arrival
of the musicians with proper seriousness. Father and mother were sitting
in the garden--in the arbour which was thickly surrounded with wild
grapes--maintaining silence; the beautiful head of mother lay on
father's shoulder; although father embraced her, he seemed very serious,
and he showed no enthusiasm when he was told of the arrival of the
musicians. Both treated their arrival with inexplicable indifference,
which called forth a feeling of sadness in Yura. But mamma stirred and
said:

"Let me go. I must go."

"Remember," said father, referring to something Yura did not understand
but which resounded in his heart with a light, gnawing alarm.

"Stop. Aren't you ashamed?" mother laughed, and this laughter made
Yura feel still more alarmed, especially since father did not laugh but
maintained the same serious and mournful appearance of Gulliver pining
for his native land....

But soon all this was forgotten, for the wonderful festival had begun in
all its glory, mystery and grandeur. The guests came fast, and there was
no longer any place at the white table, which had been deserted but a
while before. Voices resounded, and laughter and merry jests, and the
music began to play. And on the deserted paths of the garden where but
a while ago Yura had wandered alone, imagining himself a prince in quest
of the sleeping princess, now appeared people with cigarettes and with
loud free speech. Yura met the first guests at the front entrance; he
looked at each one carefully, and he made the acquaintance and even the
friendship of some of them on the way from the corridor to the table.

Thus he managed to become friendly with the officer, whose name was
Mitenka--a grown man whose name was Mitenka--he said so himself. Mitenka
had a heavy leather sword, which was as cold as a snake, which could
not be taken out--but Mitenka lied; the sword was only fastened at the
handle with a silver cord, but it could be taken out very nicely; and
Yura felt vexed because the stupid Mitenka instead of carry