She kissed his rough curly black head.

At this instant, they heard the quick rustle of the countess' dress.

She came up to them.

"Vasili Dmitrich, I thank you for the honor," she said, with an embarrassed voice, though it sounded severe to Denisov--"but my daughter is so young, and I thought that, as my son's friend, you would have addressed yourself first to me.

In that case you would not have obliged me to give this refusal.