woman, and will have as rebellious a daughter as I have."

"My darling, my sweet, you are clever you know, you are unhappy,"
said Nadya. "You are very unhappy; why do you say such very dull,
commonplace things? For God's sake, why?"

Nina Ivanovna tried to say something, but could not utter a word;
she gave a sob and went away to her own room. The bass voices began
droning in the stove again, and Nadya felt suddenly frightened. She
jumped out of bed and went quickly to her mother. Nina Ivanovna,
with tear-stained face, was lying in bed wrapped in a pale blue
quilt and holding a book in her hands.

"Mother, listen to me!" said Nadya. "I implore you, do understand!
If you would only understand how petty and degrading our life is.
My eyes have been opened, and I see it all now. And what is your
Andrey Andreitch? Why, he is not intelligent, mother! Merciful
heavens, do understand, mother, he is stupid!"

Nina Ivanovna abruptly sat up.

"You and your grandmother torment me," she said with a sob. "I want
to live! to live," she repeated, and twice she beat her little fist
upon her bosom. "Let me be free! I am still young, I want to live,
and you have made me an old woman between you!"

She broke into bitter tears, lay down and curled up under the quilt,
and looked so small, so pitiful, so foolish. Nadya went to her room,
dressed, and sitting at the window fell to waiting for the morning.
She sat all night thinking, while someone seemed to be tapping on