I opened my eyes – it’s dark around me. It’s as if there’s no fire but everything’s smouldering: it blazes up, and sparks fly. I feel with my fingers – a bear’s fur: sticky, wet… I threw the blanket off and sat up.
My heart’s pounding. The nightgown has gotten twisted so that I can’t get up. I hardly managed to free my legs. My lips are dry and prickly. A chill is coming from the floor.
“What was that?” – I think. – “It was like paradise…” – I remembered Sytin’s wife. – “Good Lord, can it be that she meant that too?…”
Grandma Glikeria comes in:
“You’ve done enough gluing. Do something else. Come on, come with me – we’ll get the sewing machine out. If you learn to use the machine, you’ll be able to sew whatever you like: a dress, an apron. It’ll come in very handy when you grow up. You
