uses pomade to grease his hair and complains in an interesting way.

"You're made up like girl!" (P.188)

Sasha promises never to use it again.

Meeting follows meeting and the two are often together alone. They kiss one another frequently. Ludmila is always the agressor. During one lengthy visit they wrestle and tumble together on the floor. Tiring of their exer- tions, Sasha sits demurely on Ludmilla's lap to be cuddled and caressed like a doll.

One night Sasha goes to help Ludmila hang a shelf in her room. She dresses for the occa- sion in a revealing outfit. She is perfumed and barefoot. She speaks seductively to him.

"You are growing more handsome, Sasha, Sasha reddened snd stuck out the end of his tongue curled into a little pipe. He said, 'You must think I'm a girl, the way you talk." (P.292)

Ludmila proceeds to partially undress Sasha and revels in his youthful, naked beauty.

"From that time on, Ludmila took Sasha to her room many times and unbottoned his blouse. At first he was mortified to tears but he soon became accustomed to it and even watched calmly and casually as Ludmila took off his shirt, baring his shoulders, and caressed his back with resounding kisses. At last, he himself would take off his shirt. It was pleasing to Ludmila to hold him half naked on her knees and to em- brace and kiss him.” Pgs. 296-297

One thing leads to another and

soon........

"Now each time that Sasha came Ludmila locked herself in with him, took off his many clothes and dressed him in different costumes.

Their sweet shame was covered up with laughter and jokes. Sometimes Ludmila tied Sasha up in a corset and put her own dress on him.

In the low cut dress, Sasha's bare arms........and his curved shoulders seemed very beautiful to Ludmila. His skin was yellowish, but of a rarely seen uniformity and softness. Ludmila's skirt, shoes amd stockings, it turns out, all fitted Sasha and they all looked well on him. Completely dressed in women's clothing, Sasha sat down and waved his fan. Dressed in this way, he really was like a young girl, and he attempted to behave as one. Only one thing was incongrous Sasha's short-cut hair. But Ludmils did not want to put a wig on him or attach some hair to his head because it seemed repulsive to her. She taught Sasha how to curtsy. In the beginning he did it awkwardly and bashfully, but he had grace in spite of his comical boyish behavior. Blushing and laughing, he mastered the courtsy and flirted wildly. Some- times Ludmila seized his shoulders and kissed them. Sasha, however, did not resist and he laughed as he looked at Ludmila. Sometimes he, himself, put his hands to her lips and said, 'Kiss!'"

But the day of reckoning comes eventually.....

"Sasha left after dinner and had not retuebed at the appointed time seven O'Clock. Kokovkina was wor- ried. God save him from meeting one of his teachers on the street at this forbidden hour. They would punish him, and it would be awk- ward for her, too. She always had well-behaved boys who did not run about at nights, at her house. So she goes looking for Sasha. Obviously he must be at the Rutilovs. Sad to say, Ludmila had forgotten to bolt the door that day. Kokovkina came in, and what did she see? Sasha was standing before the mirror in a women's dress, waving a fan. Ludmila was laughing and fixing the ribbons on his brightly colored belt. 'Dear God!' exclaimed Ko- kovkina in terror. 'What is this?

44

I was worried and went to look for Sasha and here he is dressed in wo- man's clothing putting on a come- dy. It's shameful for you to be in a women's skirt!' (P.309)

Sasha is lectured, punished, and his visits to Ludmila restricted thereafter to a few minutes duration. He is not left alone woth her again. But the perfect excuse comes to Sasha's rescue.

"A rumor was going around town that the actors of the local thea- ter were going to give a masquerade ball in the community hall with prizes for the best man's and the best women's costumes. Exaggerated re- ports circulated concerning the and it was said that the women would receive a cow, and the man, a bicycle. These rumors excited the townspeople. Everyone wanted to win because the prizes were so sub- stantial. People were hurriedly sew- ing costumes no expense was spared. They even hid their costumes from their closest friends so that their ideas would not be stolen. When the printed announcement of the event appeared, huge placards were pasted on fences and sent to prominent citizens. It turned out that the prizes were not a cow and bicycle at all but only a fan for the women and an album for the men. (P.315)

Disappointment reigns concerning the prizes but the Rutilov sisters are undaunted. They will send Sasha to the masquerade dressed as a woman. And Sasha is scarcely disappointed.

"And when the sisters told Sasha about their plan, and when Lud- mila said to him, 'We'll dress you up as a Japanese, Sasha jumped up and down and squealed for joy. Let come what would and especially if no was to know! Agree how could he not agree? Why, it would be great fun to fool everybody They at once decided that Sasha should be dressed as a Geisha. The sisters kept their ideas a very strict secret

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