e of them
had noticed before. Snandulia sat down to it and struck several chords.
Nejdanov had never heard such sour, toneless, tingling, jangling notes,
but the old people promptly struck up the ballad, "Was it to Mourn."

Fomisha began--

"In love God gave a heart
Of burning passion to inspire
That loving heart with warm desire."
"But there is agony in bliss"

Fimishka chimed in.

"And passion free from pain there is,
Ah! where, where? tell me, tell me this,"

"Ah! where, where? Tell me, tell me this,"

Fomisha put in.

"Ah! where, where? tell me, tell me this,"

Fimishka repeated.

"Nowhere in all the world, nowhere,
Love bringeth grief and black despair,"

they sang together,

"And that, love's gift is everywhere,"

Fomisha sang out alone.

"Bravo!" Paklin exclaimed. "We have had the first verse, now please sing
us the second."

"With the greatest of pleasure," Fomishka said, "but what about the
trill, Snandulia Samsonovna? After my verse there must be a trill."

"Very well, I will play your trill," Snandulia replied. Fomishka began
again--

"Has ever lover loved true
And kept his heart from grief and rue?
He loveth but to weep anew"

and then Fimishka--

"Yea--hearts that love at last are riven
As ships that hopelessly have striven
For life. To what end were they given?"

"To what end were they given?"

Fomishka warbled out and waited for Snandulia to play the trill.

"To what end were they given?"

he repeated, and then they struck up together--

"Then take, Oh God, the heart away,
Away, away, take hearts away,
Away, away, away today."

"Bravo! Bravo!" the company exclaimed, all with exception of Markelov.

"I wonder they don't feel like clowns?" Nejdanov thought. "Perhaps they
do, who knows? They no doubt think there is no harm in it and may be
even amusing to some people. If one looks at it in that light, they are
quite right! A thousand times right!"

Under the influence of these reflections he began paying compliments to
the host and hostess, which they acknowledged with a courtesy, performed
while sitting in their chairs. At this moment Pufka the dwarf and Nurse
Vassilievna made their appearance from the adjoining room (a bedroom or
perhaps the maids' room) from whence a great bustle and whispering had
been going on for some time. Pufka began squealing and making hid