A Hero of Our Time

i perceived me a long way off, and came up to me. A sort of ridiculous rapture

echorin... You

ratitude," I answered, not having, in

e you forgotten?... Mary

g in common so soon as t

evening; promise me to observe everything. I know you are experienced in these matters, you know women better than I... Women! Women! Who can understand them? Their smiles contradict their glances, their words promise and allure, but the tone of their voice rep

the result of the

materialist," he added contemptuously.

with his bad pu

went to Princess

d. The guests were numerous, and the conversation was general. I endeavoured to please the Princess, jested, and made her laugh heartily a few times. Princess Mary, also, was more than once on the point of bursting out laughi

ll went into t

my obedience, Vera?" I s

he Princess seated her daughter at the pianoforte, and all the company begged her to sing. I kept silence, and, taking advantage of the hu

m a single angry, gleaming glance which she cast at me... Oh! I understand the me

od voice, but she sings badly..

and piano, facing her, was devouring her with his eyes and

u must, without fail, make yourself agreeable to the Princess; that will be an easy tas

here

hed and

h you: do not torture me, as before, with idle doubts and feigned coldness! It may be that I shall die soon; I feel that I am growing weaker from day to day... And, yet, I cannot think of the future life, I think only of you... You

to be heard all around. I went up to her after all the other guests,

uting her lower lip, and drop

"because you have not been listening to me

I do... After di

have very prosaic tastes... and I see tha

consequently I like music in a medicinal respect. In the evening, on the contrary, it excites my nerves too much: I become either too melancholy or too gay. Both are fa

ess answered his sage phrases rather absent-mindedly and inconsequently, although endeavouring to show that she was listening to him with attention, bec

nt to pay me back in the same coin, to wound my vanity-you will

etended vexation. Princess Mary was triumphant, Grushnitski likewise. Triumph, my friends, and be quick about it!... You will not have long to triumph!... It

she love me so much? In truth, I am unable to say, all the more so because she is the only woman who has underst

gether. In the street he took my ar

el

ked to answer. But I restrained my