Berg rose and embraced his wife carefully, so as not to crush her lace fichu for which he had paid a good price, kissing her straight on the lips.

"The only thing is, we mustn't have children too soon," he continued, following an unconscious sequence of ideas.

"Yes," answered Vera, "I don't at all want that.

We must live for society.

" "Princess Yusupova wore one exactly like this," said Berg, pointing to the fichu with a happy and kindly smile.