his own pleasure. He delighted in his skill and his boldness.
Thus passed a month, and maybe somewhat more; and if any one had reckoned, he would have found that during this month his friendliness to the Lopukhófs had not diminished a hair's breadth; but fourfold less time he spent with them, and simultaneously he reduced to almost a half the time that he used to spend with Viéra Pavlovna. One month more, and while their former friendship still remained, the friends would see each other but little, and the thing would have its hat on.
Lopukhóf's eyes were sharp; don't they really see anything? No; not a thing.
But Viéra Pavlovna? and Viéra Pavlovna notices nothing. But does she notice no change in herself? Viéra Pavlovna notices no change in herself. Only Viéra Pavlovna dreams a dream.
XIX.
VIÉRA PAVLOVNA'S THIRD DREAM.
And Viéra Pavlovna dreams a dream.
After tea, she had a talk with her mílenki, and went to her room to lie down,—not to sleep; it was too early to sleep. Why, it was only half-past nine; no, she did not even undress; she only lay down to read. And here she is reading as she lies on her little bed; but the book falls away from her eyes, and Viéra begins to think: "What is the reason that lately I have been feeling lonesome occasionally; or not 'exactly lonesome, or does it merely seem so? No; it is not lonesome, but I only just happened to remember that I wanted to go to the opera this evening: but this Kirsánof, attentive fellow that he is, went too late to get tickets; he might have known that when Bosio[1] is singing, it is impossible to get two-ruble tickets at eleven o'clock. Of course he cannot be blamed; he must have been working till five o'clock, surely till five o'clock, though he didn't confess it; and yet he is to blame. No; after this, I'd better ask the mílenki to get tickets, and I guess I'd better go
- ↑ Angiolina Bosio (born in Turin in 1829), a famous mezzo-soprano, who was immensely popular in Petersburg, where she died in 1859.
