Misty and unseeing, her eyes stared at the words:

   '. . . darkness, sea, storm.'

   Elena was not reading.

   Finally Nikolka could restrain himself no longer:

   'Why is the gunfire so close, I'd like to know? I mean, they can't have . . .'

   He broke off, his reflection in the samovar distorting as he moved. Pause. The hands of the clock crawled past the figure ten and moved on - tonk-tank - to a quarter past ten.

   'They're firing because the Germans are swine', his elder brother barked unexpectedly.

   Elena looked up at the clock and asked:

   'Surely, surely they won't just leave us to our fate?' Her voice was miserable.

   As if at by unspoken command the two brothers turned their heads and began telling lies.

   'There's no news', said Nikolka and bit off a mouthful.

   'What I said was purely, h'm . . . conjectural. Rumors.'

   'No, it's not rumors', Elena countered firmly. 'That wasn't a rumor - it was true; I saw Shcheglova today and she said that two

   German regiments had withdrawn from Borodyanka.'

   'Rubbish.'

   'Now just think,' Alexei began. 'Is it conceivable that the

   Germans should let that scoundrel Petlyura come anywhere near the city? Is it? Personally I can't imagine how they could ever come to terms with him for one moment. Petlyura and the Germans - it's utterly absurd. They themselves regard him as nothing but a bandit. It's ridiculous.'

   'I don't believe you. I know what these Germans are like by now. I've seen several of them wearing red arm-bands. The other day I saw a drunken German sergeant with a peasant woman - and she was drunk too.'

   'What of it? There may be isolated cases of demoralisation even in the German army.'

   'So you don't think Petlyura will break through?'

   'H'm ... No, I don't think it's possible.'

   'Absolument pas. Pour me another cup of tea, please. Don't worry. Maintain, as the saying goes, complete calm.'

   'But where's Sergei, for God's sake? I'm certain that train has been attacked and . . .'

   'Pure imagination. Look - that line is completely out of any possible danger.'

   'But something might happen, mightn't it?'

   'Oh, God! You know what railroad journeys are like nowadays. I expect they were held up for about three hours at every single station.'

   'That's what a revolution does to the trains. Two hours' delay for every hour on the move.'

   With a deep sigh Elena looked at the clock, was silent for a while, then spoke again:

   'God, if only the Germans hadn't acted so despicably everything would be all right. Two of their regiments would have been enough to squash that Petlyura of yours like a fly.