I dressed in the lightest of colors and I pinned a ribbon in my hair.
When I heard his footstep, I ran to meet him and threw my arms round his
neck.
"What is the matter?" he asked. "And what on earth have you got on your
head? You look like a barmaid."
To the best of my powers I was a whirlwind of sunshine; and as soon as I
saw that he was dull and silent (and this occurred almost immediately) I
said to myself that the moment was come for me to sing to him.
I sat down at the piano. I have not much ear, but a fine strong voice,
even if not always quite in tune.
At the second bar Vassili got up, took his hat and left the house. I
threw a flower to him from the window.
He did not come back for three days.