Section 7: Chapter 9 Summary

The ninth chapter opens with the day which is the beginning of Vladimir's passion and his suffering. He cannot think about anything except Zinaida who guesses at once that Vladimir, who never thinks to conceal it, has fallen in love with her. Vladimir is not the only one to love Zinaida; all the men who visit her are infatuated with her, and Zinaida finds it amusing since she thinks that all of her admirers are necessary to her. Zinaida's consciousness of superiority over her surroundings creates in her a half-contemptuous kind of carelessness. Vladimir's blood rises when Count Malevsky whispers to Zinaida, who smiles and shakes her head. When Vladimir asks why Zinaida receives Count Malevsky, she claims he has such beautiful little mustaches and that it is not Vladimir's province anyway. Another time, she assures Vladimir that she does not...