"My God! what have I done! Merciful God! help me, guide me," said Levin, praying inwardly, and at the same time, feeling a need of violent exercise, he skated about describing inner and outer circles.

At that moment one of the young men, the best of the skaters of the day, came out of the coffee-house in his skates, with a cigarette in his mouth.

Taking a run, he dashed down the steps in his skates, crashing and bounding up and down.

He flew down, and without even changing the position of his hands, skated away over the ice.