Schoolboy Days in Russia Author:Paschal Grousset Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. THE HAUNTED LAKE. THE summer of that year had been unusually pleasant. The month of September was fast drawing to a close, and already a silve... more »ry sheen was visible mornings on the tall trees whose russet foliage contrasted so charmingly with the pale blue of the cloudless sky. A profound stillness reigned everywhere, and the impending death of nature imparted a melancholy charm to the beauty of the landscape. I left home very early one morning, for I had an unusually exciting scheme in my head. A long way from Sitovka — much farther than I had ever gone indeed — there was a lake which I had long desired to visit. By walking briskly, I might reach it by the middle of the day, and explore it thoroughly during the afternoon; but I could hardly hope to get home again until late at night. It is needless to say that this prospect did not trouble me in the least; but I took good care to keep my project a secret from my father, partly because I was naturally uncommunicative, but chiefly because I felt almost sure that he would not allow me to go. I started off with a big piece of rye-bread and a magnificent fresh cucumber in my pocket, — a breakfast for a prince ! I should find plenty of water by the wayside to quench my thirst As I was passing through the village I saw the master standing by the schoolhouse door. " Dmitri, Dmitri Fedorovitch, the bell has rung! " he called out sharply. I pretended not to hear him, however. "Dmitri! don't you hear me? The bell has rung, I tell you! " " I hear you, Master Lebewohl," I answered, pausing for an instant, with my hands stuck in my trousers' pockets. " Come here, then," cried the master, flourishing his stick, as if he longed to apply it to my shoulders. " I 'm not coming to school to-day," I responded ...« less