At last Vera sat down in the old red arm-chair that had the holes and the places where it suddenly went flat, and Nina piled up some cushions and sat at her feet.  For a time they were happy, saying very little, Vera softly stroking Nina’s hair.  Then, as Vera afterwards described it to me, “Some fright or sudden dread of loneliness came into the room.  It was exactly as though the door had opened and some one had joined us... and, do you know, I looked up and expected to see Uncle Alexei.”

However, of course, there was no one there; but Nina moved away a little, and then Vera, wanting to comfort her, tried to draw her closer, and then of course, Nina (because she was like that) with a little peevish shrug of the shoulders drew even farther away.  There was, after that, silence between them, an awkward ugly silence, piling up and up with discomfort until the whole room seemed to be eloquent with it.

Both their minds were, of course, occupied in the same direction, and suddenly Nina, who moved always on impulse and had no restraint, burst out: 

“I must know how Andrey Stepanovitch (their name for Lawrence, because Jeremy had no Russian equivalent) is—­I’m going to telephone.”

“You can’t,” Vera said quietly.  “It isn’t working—­I tried an hour ago to get on to Nicholas.”

“Well then, I shall go off and find out,” said Nina, knowing very well that she would not.

“Oh, Nina, of course you mustn’t....  You know you can’t.  Perhaps when Nicholas comes in he will have some news for us.”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“You know why not.  What would he think?  Besides, you’re not going out into the town again to-night.”

“Oh, aren’t I?  And who’s going to stop me?”

“I am,” said Vera.

Nina sprang to her feet.  In her later account to me of this quarrel she said, “You know, Durdles, I don’t believe I ever loved Vera more than I did just then.  In spite of her gravity she looked so helpless and as though she wanted loving so terribly.  I could just have flung my arms round her and hugged her to death at the very moment that I was screaming at her.  Why are we like that?”

At any rate Nina stood up there and stamped her foot, her hair hanging all about her face and her body quivering.  “Oh, you’re going to keep me, are you?  What right have you got over me?  Can’t I go and leave the flat at any moment if I wish, or am I to consider myself your prisoner?... Tzuineeto, pajalueesta...  I didn’t know.  I can only eat my meals with your permission, I suppose.  I have to ask your leave before going to see my friends....  Thank you, I know now.  But I’m not going to stand it.  I shall do just as I please.  I’m grown up.  No one can stop me....”

Vera, her eyes full of distress looked helplessly about her.  She never could deal with Nina when she was in these storms of rage, and to-day she felt especially helpless.