In the stove was the sound of several bass voices in chorus, and she even heard “O-o-o my G-o-od!” Nadya sat on her bed, and suddenly she clutched at her hair and burst into sobs.

“Mother, mother, my own,” she said.  “If only you knew what is happening to me!  I beg you, I beseech you, let me go away!  I beseech you!”

“Where?” asked Nina Ivanovna, not understanding, and she sat down on the bedstead.  “Go where?”

For a long while Nadya cried and could not utter a word.

“Let me go away from the town,” she said at last.  “There must not and will not be a wedding, understand that!  I don’t love that man . . .  I can’t even speak about him.”

“No, my own, no!” Nina Ivanovna said quickly, terribly alarmed.  “Calm yourself—­it’s just because you are in low spirits.  It will pass, it often happens.  Most likely you have had a tiff with Andrey; but lovers’ quarrels always end in kisses!”

“Oh, go away, mother, oh, go away,” sobbed Nadya.

“Yes,” said Nina Ivanovna after a pause, “it’s not long since you were a baby, a little girl, and now you are engaged to be married.  In nature there is a continual transmutation of substances.  Before you know where you are you will be a mother yourself and an old 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 the shutters and whistling in the yard.

In the morning Granny complained that the wind had blown down all the apples in the garden, and broken down an old plum tree.  It was grey, murky, cheerless, dark enough for candles; everyone complained of the cold, and the rain lashed on the windows.  After tea Nadya went into Sasha’s room and without saying a word knelt down before an armchair in the corner and hid her face in her hands.