too soon, will it not be in vain?' he thought, tightly clasping his
hands. 'We are not ready, but so be it! I must go.'

Something rustled lightly at the door, it flew quickly open, and into
the room ran Elena.

Insarov, all in a tremor, rushed to her, fell on his knees before her,
clasped her waist and pressed it close against his head.

'You didn't expect me?' she said, hardly able to draw her breath,
she had run quickly up the stairs. 'Dear one! dear one!--so this is
where you live? I've quickly found you. The daughter of your landlord
conducted me. We arrived the day before yesterday. I meant to write to
you, but I thought I had better come myself. I have come for a quarter
of an hour. Get up, shut the door.'

He got up, quickly shut the door, returned to her and took her by the
hands. He could not speak; he was choking with delight. She looked
with a smile into his eyes . . . there was such rapture in them . . .
she felt shy.

'Stay,' she said, fondly taking her hand away from him, 'let me take
off my hat.'

She untied the strings of her hat, flung it down, slipped the cape off
her shoulders, tidied her hair, and sat down on the little old sofa.
Insarov gazed at her, without stirring, like one enchanted.

'Sit down,' she said, not lifting her eyes to him and motioning him to
a place beside her.