his father to see whether he had guessed it, and when mother came in
he started to shout louder in order to divert any suspicion. But he
did not go to her arms; he clung more closely to father, so that
father had to carry him into his room. But it seemed that he himself
did not want to part with Yura. As soon as he carried him out of the
room where the guests were he began to kiss him, and he repeated:

"Oh, my dearest! Oh, my dearest!"

And he said to mamma, who walked behind him:

"Just think of the boy!"

Mamma said:

"That is all due to your whist. You were scolding each other so,
that the child was frightened."

Father began to laugh, and answered:

"Yes, he does scold harshly. But Yura, oh, what a dear boy!"

In his room Yura demanded that father himself undress him. "Now,
you are getting cranky," said father. "I don't know how to do it;
let mamma undress you."

"But you stay here."

Mamma had deft fingers and she undressed him quickly, and while she
was removing his clothes Yura held father by the hand. He ordered