scarcely see anything twenty paces away. Tyeglev and I went up to the
hurdle and stood still.

"Here," he said and bowed his head. "Stand still, keep quiet and
listen!"

Like him I strained my ears, and I heard nothing except the ordinary,
extremely faint but universal murmur, the breathing of the night.
Looking at each other in silence from time to time we stood motionless
for several minutes and were just on the point of going on.

"Ilyusha ..." I fancied I heard a whisper from behind the hurdle.

I glanced at Tyeglev but he seemed to have heard nothing--and still
held his head bowed.

"Ilyusha ... ah, Ilyusha," sounded more distinctly than before--so
distinctly that one could tell that the words were uttered by a woman.

We both started and stared at each other.

"Well?" Tyeglev asked me in a whisper. "You won't doubt it now, will
you?"

"Wait a minute," I answered as quietly. "It proves nothing. We must
look whether there isn't anyone. Some practical joker...."

I jumped over the fence--and went in the direction from which, as far
as I could judge, the voice came.