nderfully sweet temper. With her mother's help, she managed
both to keep up and make new connections and acquaintances, and was even
spoken of in the highest circles as a very nice well-bred girl. She had
several suitors, had fixed upon Sipiagin from them all, and had very
quickly and ingeniously made him fall in love with her. However, he
was soon convinced that he could not have made a better choice. She
was intelligent, rather good than ill-natured, at bottom cold and
indifferent, but unable to endure the idea that anyone should be
indifferent to her.

Valentina Mihailovna was possessed of that peculiar charm, the
characteristic of all "charming" egoists, in which there is neither
poetry nor real sensitiveness, but which is often full of superficial
gentleness, sympathy, sometimes even tenderness. But these charming
egoists must not be thwarted. They are very domineering and cannot
endure independence in others. Women like Madame Sipiagina excite and
disturb people of inexperienced and passionate natures, but are fond of
a quiet and peaceful life themselves. Virtue comes easy to them, they
are placid of temperament, but a constant desire to command, to attract,
and to please gives them mobility and brilliance. They have an iron
will, and a good deal of their fascination is due to this will. It is
difficult for a man to hold his ground when the mysterious sparks
of tenderness begin to kindle, as if involuntarily, in one of these
unstirred creatures; he waits for the hour to come when the ice will
melt, but the rays only play over the transparent surface, and never
does he see it melt or its smoothness disturbed!

It cost Madame Sipiagina very little to flirt, knowing full well that it
involved no danger for herself, but to take the lustre out of another's
eyes and see them sparkle again, to see another's cheeks become flushed
with desire and dread, to hear another's voice tremble and break
down, to disturb another's soul--oh, how sweet it was to her soul! How
delightful it was late at night, when she lay down in her snow-white bed
to an untroubled sleep, to remember all these agitated words and looks
and sighs. With what a self-satisfied smile she retired into herself,
into the consciousness of her inaccessibility, her invulnerability, and
with what condescension she abandoned herself to the lawful embrace of
her well-bred husband! It was so pleasant that for a little time she
was filled with emotion, ready to do som