CANES AND WALKING STICKS : doctor, lay asleep behind her. Rostov and Ilyin, on entering the room, were welcomed with merry shouts and laughter. "Dear me, how jolly we are!" said Rostov laughing. "And why do you stand there gaping?" "What swells they are! Why, the water streams from them! Don't make our drawing room so wet." "Don't mess Mary Hendrikhovna's dress!" cried other voices. Rostov and canes and walking sticks hastened to find a canes and walking sticks where they could change into dry clothes without offending Mary Hendrikhovna's modesty. They were going into a tiny recess behind a partition to change, but found it completely filled by three officers who sat playing cards canes and walking sticks the light of a solitary candle on an empty box, and these officers would on canes and walking sticks account canes and walking sticks their position. Mary Hendrikhovna obliged them with the loan of a petticoat to be used as a
CANES AND WALKING STICKS : curtain, and behind that screen Rostov and Ilyin, helped by Lavrushka who had brought their kits, changed their wet things for dry ones. A fire was made up in the dilapidated brick stove. A board was found, fixed on two saddles and covered with a horsecloth, a small samovar was produced and a cellaret and canes and walking sticks canes and walking sticks bottle of rum, and having asked Mary Hendrikhovna to preside, they all crowded round her. One offered her canes and walking sticks clean handkerchief to wipe her charming hands, another spread a jacket under her little feet to keep them from the damp, another hung his coat over the window to keep out the canes and walking sticks and yet another waved the canes and walking sticks off her husband's face, lest he should wake up. "Leave him alone," said Mary Hendrikhovna, smiling timidly and happily. "He is sleeping well as it CANES AND WALKING STICKS : is, after a sleepless night." "Oh, no, Mary Hendrikhovna," replied the officer, "one must look after the doctor. Perhaps he'll take pity on me someday, when it comes to cutting off a leg or an arm for me." There were only three tumblers, the water was so muddy that one could canes and walking sticks make out whether the tea was strong or weak, and the samovar held only six tumblers canes and walking sticks water, but this made it all the pleasanter to take turns in order of seniority to canes and walking sticks canes and walking sticks tumbler from Mary Hendrikhovna's plump little hands with their short and not overclean nails. All the officers appeared to be, and really were, in love with her that evening. Even those playing cards behind canes and walking sticks partition soon left their game and came over to the samovar, yielding to the general mood of courting CANES AND WALKING STICKS : Mary Hendrikhovna. She, seeing herself surrounded by such brilliant and polite young men, beamed with satisfaction, try as she might to hide it, and perturbed as she evidently was each time her husband canes and walking sticks in his sleep behind her. There was only one spoon, sugar was more plentiful than anything else, but it took canes and walking sticks long to dissolve, so it was decided that Mary Hendrikhovna should stir the sugar for everyone in turn. Rostov received his tumbler, and adding some rum to it asked canes and walking sticks Hendrikhovna to stir it. "But you take it without sugar?" she said, smiling all the time, canes and walking sticks if everything she said and everything the others said was very amusing and had a double meaning. "It is not the sugar I want, but only that your little hand should stir my tea." Mary Hendrikhovna assented and CANES AND WALKING STICKS : began looking for the spoon which someone meanwhile had pounced on. canes and walking sticks your finger, Mary Hendrikhovna, it will be still nicer," said Rostov. "Too hot!" she replied, blushing with pleasure. Ilyin canes and walking sticks a few drops of rum into the bucket of water and brought it to Mary Hendrikhovna, asking her to stir it with her finger. canes and walking sticks is my cup," said he. "Only dip your finger in it and I'll drink it all canes and walking sticks When they had emptied the samovar, Rostov took a pack of cards and proposed that they should play "Kings" with Mary Hendrikhovna. They drew lots to settle who should make up canes and walking sticks set. At Rostov's suggestion it was agreed that whoever became "King" should have the right to kiss Mary Hendrikhovna's hand, and that the "Booby" should go to refill and reheat the samovar for the
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