Page 126 (1/1)

The party had long ago broken up The clock struck half-past twelve There was left in the rooei Nikolaevitch and Vladi and ordered the remains of the supper to be cleared away 'And so it's settled,' he observed, sitting back farther in his easy-chair and lighting a cigar; 'each of us is to tell the story of his first love It's your turn, Sergei Nikolaevitch'

Sergei Nikolaevitch, a round little azed first at the'I had no first love,' he said at last; 'I began with the second'

'Hoas that?'

'It's very sihteen when I hadlady, but I courted her just as though it were nothing new to me; just as I courted others later on To speak accurately, the first and last time I was in love ith my nurse when I was six years old; but that's in the remote past The details of our relations have slipped out of my memory, and even if I remembered thean themuch of interest about my first love either; I never fell in love with any one till Iwent as sed the ot married without loss of time My story can be told in a couple of words Iup the subject of first love, I reckoned upon you, I won't say old, but no longer young, bachelors Can't you enliven us with so, Vladimir Petrovitch?'

'My first love, certainly, was not quite an ordinary one,' responded, with some reluctance, Vladirey

'Ah!' said the ei Nikolaevitch with one voice: 'So much the better Tell us about it'

'If you wish itor no; I won't tell the story; I' a story; I make it dry and brief, or spun out and affected If you'll allow me, I'll write out all I reree, but Vladiht later they were together again, and Vladimir Petrovitch kept his word