The Contemporary (Sovremennik)

went bankrupt, and he saw that he would receive nothing more than my dowry, he decided to take me completely into his own hands... But I am no fool myself: I suffered for a year or two, and by then I had grown up myself... Things reached a point where, one time, I prepared to go out for visits, I ordered the carriage to be brought for me, without asking him, you see, and he says: you stay at home, and I will go in the carriage... No, I say, you will not be the one going, I will... and you can take a cabman... No, he says, I will go, and you will stay at home... One word led to another: I said one thing, and he said another, and he put on his hat, and began to put on his fur coat... My heart felt heavy, and I felt very bitter... So, I say: do you truly want to go?.. You see, he says: I have put on my fur coat... Well, have it your way, I say, go: I grabbed him and scratched up his whole face with my nails...

Alexandra Semyonovna (with involuntary disgust). Aunt!..

Tatyana Andrevna. Yes... It shall be my way, not his... You may as well kill me, but I will have my way... And he did not want to understand my character... Well, he only has himself to blame... It is nothing, my little angel, in your life everything will happen... I just do not like secrets: everything for me is out in the open, my heart is wide open... Whoever I love, I love, and if I do not love them, I will say so straight to their face... There you are, my angels... Anetochka! why are you lost in thought: come to me... (Aneta approaches her mother. Tatyana Andrevna forcefully seats her on her lap and kisses her). Whatever I may be, I love my children and before God I will not repent... Here is what an angel I have... (Kisses Aneta). Do not be afraid, I will not give you to a man you do not love... Whoever you want, fall in love with him: love—for love I would give you to anyone, even to the lowest person... Just tell me... I myself have worn myself out without love... I have cast all my heart to the wind, it has all gone to waste on trifles in different directions... But give me a good husband, perhaps I too would have known how to love as well as any other... Only now do I love (kisses her daughter)... Otherwise it is all nonsense... Well, well, what... my dear, my angel... Well, Christ be with you, God be with you... (She crosses Aneta and kisses her). Well, go... (She pushes her away).

Mikhailo Ivanych. Mother, and what do you think? Am I not right when I say that my cousin should be going out into society?... Aside from the fact that she could have brilliant success in society with her beauty... it seems to me that to constantly