"I'll make a bit of a fire in a minute, and we'll talk. Why, Iakov,
what a fine fellow you've grown!"
Again he disappeared.
Malva went on munching her melon seeds. She stared familiarly at Iakov.
He tried not to meet her eyes, although he would have liked to, and he
thought to himself:
"Life must come easy here. People seem to eat as much as they want to.
How strong she is and father, too!"
Then intimidated by the silence, he said aloud:
"I forgot my bag in the boat. I'll go and get it."
Iakov rose leisurely and went out. Vassili appeared a moment later. He
bent down towards Malva and said rapidly with anger:
"What did you want to bring him for? What shall I tell him about you?"
"What's that to me? Am I afraid of him? Or of you?" she asked, closing
her green eyes with disdain. Then she laughed: "How you went on when
you saw him. It was so funny!"
"Funny, eh?"
The sand crunched under Iakov's steps and they had to suspend their
conversation. Iakov had brought a bag which he threw into a corner. He
cast a hostile look at the young woman.
She went on munching her seeds. Vassili, seating himself on the
woodbin, said with a forced smile:
"What made you think of coming?"
"Why, I just came.
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