“Come along, or I shall drink up all the vodka,” cried his companion.
Having dressed, they ate the remainder of their provisions, while Ivanoff sighed ruefully for a draught of ice-cold beer.
They raced at full speed to the river-bank, jumped into their boat, and pushed off.
“Doesn’t the sun sting!” said Sanine, who was lying at full length in the bottom of the boat.
“That means rain,” replied Ivanoff. “Get up and steer, for God’s sake!”
“You can manage quite well by yourself,” was the reply.
Ivanoff struck the water with his oars, so that Sanine got thoroughly splashed.
As they passed a green spot they heard laughter and the sound of merry girlish voices. It being a holiday, townsfolk had come thither to enjoy themselves.
“Let’s go and look at them,” suggested Sanine.
“No they wouldn’t. We could land here, and go through the reeds.”
“Leave them alone,” said Ivanoff, blushing slightly.
“Well, but … they’re girls … young ladies … I don’t think it’s quite proper.”
“You’re a silly fool!” laughed Sanine, “Do you mean to say that you wouldn’t like to see them?”
“Very well, then, let’s go. No mock modesty! What man wouldn’t do the same, if he had the chance?”
“Yes, but if you reason like that, you ought to watch them openly. Why hide yourself?”
“Because it’s so much more exciting,” said Sanine gaily.
“But chastity is the very thing that we don’t possess!”
“If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out!” said Ivanoff.
“Oh! please don’t talk nonsense, like Yourii Svarogitsch! God didn’t give us eyes that we might pluck out.”
Ivanoff smiled, and shrugged his shoulders.
“Look here, my boy,” said Sanine, steering towards the bank, “if the sight of girls bathing were to rouse in you no carnal desire, then you would have a right to be called chaste. Indeed, though I should be the last to imitate it, such chastity on your part would win my admiration. But, having these natural desires, if you attempt to suppress them, then I say that your so-called chastity is all humbug.”
“That’s right enough, but, if no check were placed upon desires, great harm might result.”
“What harm, pray? Sensuality, I grant you, sometimes has evil results, but it’s not the fault of sensuality.”
“A fool, that’s what you are! Gently! Don’t make such a noise,” said Sanine, as they crept along through the fragrant grass and rustling reeds.