All the gamblers except the drunken Malinowsky had lost their interest
in the game. They were intensely curious to know who the lady was that
had come to see Sarudine, Those who guessed that it was Lida Sanina
felt instinctively jealous, picturing to themselves her white body in
Sarudine's embrace. After a while Sanine got up from the table and
said: "I shall not play any more. Good-bye."

"Wait a minute, my friend, where are you going?" asked Ivanoff.

"I'm going to see what they are about, in there," replied Sanine,
pointing to the closed door.

"Don't be a fool I Sit down and have a drink!" said Ivanoff.

"You're the fool!" rejoined Sanine, as he went out.

On reaching a narrow side-street where nettles grew in profusion,
Sanine bethought himself of the exact spot which Sarudine's windows
overlooked. Carefully treading down the nettles, he climbed the wall.
When on the top, he almost forgot why he had got up there at all, so
charming was it to look down on the green grass and the pretty garden,
and to feel the soft breeze blowing pleasantly on his hot, muscular
limbs. Then he dropped down into the nettles on the other side,
irritably rubbing the places where they had stung him. Crossing the
garden, he reached the window just as Lida said: "You mean to say that you still don't know?"