when sister Sonia was sending me, mamma came up, too, and said 'Run fast, Polenka.'" "Do you love sister Sonia ?" "I love her more than anyone," Polenka answered with a peculiar earnestness, and her smile became graver.
"And will you love me ?" By way of answer he saw the little girl's face approaching him, her full lips naively held out to kiss him.

Suddenly her arms as thin as sticks held him tightly, her head rested on his shoulder and the little girl wept softly, pressing her face against him.
"I am sorry for father," she said a moment later, raising her tear-stained face and brushing away the tears with her hands.

"It's nothing but misfortunes now," she added suddenly with that peculiarly sedate air which children try hard to assume when they want to speak like grown-up people.
"Did your father love you ?" "He loved Lida most," she went on very seriously without a smile, exactly like grown-up people, "he loved her because she is little and because she is ill, too.

And he always used to bring her presents.

But he taught us to read and me grammar and scripture, too," she added with dignity.