o
do or think. But the sun rose and I grew happier. As soon as it was
morning I dashed off to you. Ah, what I've been through, dear one!
I haven't slept for two nights!"

She was tired out and excited. She was sleepy, and at the same time
she wanted to talk endlessly, to laugh and to cry, and to go to a
restaurant to lunch that she might feel her freedom.

"You have a cosy flat, but I am afraid it may be small for the two
of us," she said, walking rapidly through all the rooms when they
had finished breakfast. "What room will you give me? I like this
one because it is next to your study."

At one o'clock she changed her dress in the room next to the study,
which from that time she called hers, and she went off with Orlov
to lunch. They dined, too, at a restaurant, and spent the long
interval between lunch and dinner in shopping. Till late at night
I was opening the door to messengers and errand-boys from the shops.
They bought, among other things, a splendid pier-glass, a dressing-table,
a bedstead, and a gorgeous tea service which we did not need. They
bought a regular collection of copper saucepans, which we set in a
row on the shelf in our cold, empty kitchen. As we were unpacking
the tea service Polya's eyes gleamed, and she looked at me two or
three times with hatred and fear that I, not she, would be the first
to steal one of these charming cups. A lady's writing-table, very
expensive and inconvenient, came too. It was evident that Zinaida
Fyodorovna contemplated settling with us for good, and meant to
make the flat her home.

She came back with Orlov between nine and ten. Full of proud
consciousness that she had done something bold and out of the common,
passionately in love, and, as she imagined, passionately loved,
exhausted, looking forward to a sweet sound sleep, Zinaida Fyodorovna
was revelling in her new life. She squeezed her hands together in
the excess of her joy, declared that everything was delightful, and
swore that she would love Orlov for ever; and these vows, and the
naive, almost childish confidence that she too was deeply loved and
would be loved forever, made her at least five years younger. She
talked charming nonsense and laughed at herself.

"There's no other blessing greater than freedom!" she said, forcing
herself to say something serious and edifying. "How absurd it is
when you think of it! We attach no value to our own opinion even
when it is wise, but tremble before the opinion of