Sliding down and melting, they left a watery track in their course.

The mother thought of her son.
A cautious rap was heard.

She rushed to the door, lifted the latch, and admitted Sashenka.

She had not seen her for a long while, and the first thing that caught her eye was the girl's unnatural stoutness.
"Good evening!" she said, happy to have a visitor at such a time, to relieve her solitude for a part of the night.

"You haven't been around for a long while! Were you away ?" "No, I was in prison," replied the girl, smiling, "with Nikolay Ivanovich.