The seagulls were startled, and became attentive.
"Ahoy! Ahoy!" replied from the boat the clear voice of Malva.
"The little devil!" swore Vassili under his breath.
He spat on one side with an offended gesture.
He was full of curiosity. Whilst rolling a cigarette, he scanned the neck and the back of the rower who was approaching rapidly. The noise made by the oars striking the water, rang through the air, and the sand was ground beneath the bare feet of the keeper who was struggling against a nervous fit of curiosity.
"Who is with you?" he cried when he was able to discern the smile, so familiar to him, on the beautiful round face of Malva.
"Just wait!... You will recognize him yourself all right!" she answered laughing.
The rower turned round, and laughing also, looked full at Vassili, The keeper frowned; it appeared to him he had seen the lad before.
The impetus was so strong that the boat was tossed sideways on to the shore by a wave, and then righted herself whilst the wave rolled laughing back into the sea. The rower jumped ashore, and went straight up to Vassili--
"Jakoff!" exclaimed Vassili, more astonished than pleased.
They kissed each other three times on the mouth and on the cheeks; after which Vassili's astonishment was a mixture of joy and of trouble.
"I felt sure ... there was something ... my heart told me so.... Ah! it's you ... How did you manage it?... And I, who was saying to myself, Is it Sereja?... No; I could see quite well it wasn't Sereja!... And now I find it's you!"
Vassili was stroking his beard with one hand, and with the other he was gesticulating in the air. He would have liked to have looked at Malva, but the bright eyes of his son were fixed on him and made him feel awkward. His pride, in having a son so strong and so handsome, was struggling against the embarrassment he felt in the presence of his mistress. He moved about restlessly in front of Jakoff, interjecting questions without waiting for replies. Everything seemed to be mixed up in his head, and the culminating point of discomfort was reached when he heard Malva remark in a mocking tone--
"Don't jump about like that ... for joy! Take him to the hut and give him a feed."
He glanced at her: a mocking smile, which he knew well, hovered in the corners of her lips, and her whole person, round, soft and fresh as usual, appeared at the same time strange and new to him. Malva was glancing with her green eyes from father to son, while she nibbled carraway seeds with her little white teeth. Jakoff was also smiling, and for a few seconds, which were painful to Vassili, all three were silent.