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was standing with her back to him. Hearing footsteps, she turned slowly round.
Arkady felt confused again, but the first words she uttered soothed him at once. 'Welcome back, runaway!' she said in her even, caressing voice, and came to meet him, smiling and frowning to keep the sun and wind out of her eyes. 'Where did you pick him up, Katya?'
'I have brought you something, Anna Sergyevna,' he began, 'which you certainly don't expect.'
'You have brought yourself; that's better than anything.'
