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‘That’s how they ride in. They get on each other’s shoul-
ders in the passage and prance in like that on a respectable
family. Strange sort of visitors!’
‘But who’s come in like that, mamma?’
‘Why, that boy came in riding on that one’s back and this
one on that one’s.’
Kolya was already by Ilusha’s bedside. The sick boy turned
visibly paler. He raised himself in the bed and looked in-
tently at Kolya. Kolya had not seen his little friend for two
months, and he was overwhelmed at the sight of him. He
had never imagined that he would see such a wasted, yellow
face, such enormous, feverishly glowing eyes and such thin
little hands. He saw, with grieved surprise, Ilusha’s rapid,
hard breathing and dry lips. He stepped close to him, held
out his hand, and almost overwhelmed, he said:
‘Well, old man... how are you?’ But his voice failed him,
he couldn’t achieve an appearance of ease; his face sudden-
ly twitched and the corners of his mouth quivered. Ilusha
smiled a pitiful little smile, still unable to utter a word.
Something moved Kolya to raise his hand and pass it over
Ilusha’s hair.
‘Never mind!’ he murmured softly to him to cheer him
up, or perhaps not knowing why he said it. For a minute
they were silent again.
‘Hallo, so you’ve got a new puppy?’ Kolya said suddenly,
in a most callous voice.
‘Ye-es,’ answered Ilusha in a long whisper, gasping for
breath.
‘A black nose, that means he’ll be fierce, a good house-

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