The Equinox (Volume I, Number III)

THE EQUINOX Vv He sought Ljubov. She, who was like a shoot out of the stem of Jesse, who did not judge after the sight of her eyes, who could stretch out her hand on the den of the basilisk and play on the hole of the asp, without ever coming to grief, fell a-trembling with an unconscious knowledge of that which was going to happen. It dawned upon her that she had come to a point where the road was to become broad under her feet and of an easier walk than the dark path upon which she had of late journeyed. I was hiding behind a tree when Piotr approached her, and so I witnessed their meeting. He, also, was quaking with excitement. Brandishing his two hands, somewhat red with the blood of his victim, he spoke pantingly. “Ljubov, my little sister,” he said, “I have two fine jewels for thee. Feel them.” But as she put her hand forward he withdrew his; and, instinctively, rubbed the two ear-rings with a corner of his blouse. The particles of flesh fell down during the process. Then he took a step nearer to her and seized her shoulder, endeavouring to place one pendant where he knew it ought to be worn. But his hand trembled much; neither was her own body steady. They both laboured under great nervous ex- citement.” “T could not,” Elphénor went on, “tell you how the thing happened, unless I used my imagination—and the whole pack of you are unworthy of that exertion—nor will I take the trouble to search the bottom drawers of my reason for any explanation of what I take to be a very scarce phenomenon.” 306