The Lady with the Dog by Anton Chekhov

the lady with the dog part 1 it was said

that a new person had appeared on the

seafront a lady with a little dog Dmitri

Dmitri troff who had by then been a

fortnight at Yalta and so was fairly at

home there had begun to take an interest

in new arrivals sitting in Verna’s

pavilion he saw walking on the seafront

a fair-haired young lady of medium

height wearing a beret a white

Pomeranian dog was running behind and

afterwards he met her in the public

gardens and in the square several times

a day she was walking alone always

wearing the same beret and always with

the same white dog no one knew who she

was and everyone called her simply the

lady with the dog who she is here alone

without husband or friends who wouldn’t

be a missed to make her acquaintance

growph reflected he was under forty but

he had a daughter already twelve years

old and two sons at school he had been

married young when he was a student in

his second year and by now his wife

seemed half as old again as he she was a

tall erect woman with dark eyebrows

staid and dignified and as she said of

herself intellectual she read a great

deal used phonetic spelling called her

husband not Dimitri but dim me tree and

he secretly considered her unintelligent

narrow inelegant was afraid of her and

did not like to be at home he had begun

being unfaithful to her long ago had

been unfaithful to her often and

probably on that account almost always

spoke ill of women and when they were

talked about in his presence used to

call them the lower race it seemed to

him that he had been so schooled by

bitter experience

that he might call them what he liked

and yet he could not get on for two days

together without the lower race in the

Society of men he was bored and not

himself with them he was cold and

uncommunicative but when he was in the

company of women he felt free and knew

what to say to them and how to behave

and he was at ease with them even when

he was silent in his appearance in his

character in his whole nature there was

something attractive and elusive which

eluard women and disposed them in his

favour he knew that and some force

seemed to draw him to to them experience

often repeated truly bitter experience

had taught him long ago that with decent

people especially at Moscow people

always slow to move and irresolute every

intimacy which at first so agreeably

diversifies life and appears alight and

charming adventure inevitably grows into

a regular problem of extreme intricacy

and in the long run the situation

becomes unbearable but at every fresh

meeting with an interesting woman this

experience

seemed to slip out of his memory and he

was eager for life and everything seemed

simple and amusing one evening he was

dining in the gardens and the lady in

the beret came up slowly to take the

next table her expression her gait her

dress and the way she did her hair told

him that she was a lady that she was

married that she was in Yalta for the

first time and alone and that she was

dull there the stories told of the

immorality in such places as Yalta are

to a great extent untrue he despised

them and he knew that such stories were

for the most part made up by persons

would themselves have been glad to sin

if they had been able but when the lady

sat down at the next table three paces

from him he remembered these tales of

easy conquests of trips to the mountains

and the tempting thought of a swift

fleeting love affair a romance with an

unknown woman whose name he did not know

suddenly took possession of him he

beckoned coaxingly

to the Pomeranian and when the dog came

up to him he shook his finger at it the

Pomeranian growled Gurov shook his

finger at it again the lady looked at

him and at once dropped her eyes he

doesn’t bite she said and blushed may I

give him a bone he asked and when she

nodded he asked courteously have you

been long in the altar five days the

night I’ve already dragged out a

fortnight here there was a brief silence

time goes fast and yet it is thought

dull here she said not looking that’s

only the fashion to say it is dull here

a provincial will live in bill your

Fodor Jindra and not be dull and when it

comes here it’s oh the dullness oh the

dust

one would think he came from Grenada she

laughed then they both continued eating

in silence like strangers but after

dinner they walked side by side and

they’re spraying it between them the

light jesting conversation of people who

are free and satisfied to whom it does

not matter where they go or what they

talk about they walked and talked of the

strange light on the sea the waterer was

of a soft warm lilac hue and there was a

golden streak from the moon upon it they

talked of how sultry it was after a hot

day

gurov told her that he came from Moscow

that he had taken his degree in arts but

had a post in a bank that he had trained

as an opera singer but had given it up

that he owned two houses in Moscow and

from her he learned that she had grow up

in Petersburg but had lived in s since

her marriage two years before that she

was staying another part a month in

Yalta and that her husband who needed a

holiday - might perhaps come and fetch

her she was not sure whether her husband

had a post in the crown department or

under the Provincial Council and was

amused by her own ignorance and gurrah

phlearn - that she was called Anna

Sergeyevna afterwards he thought about

her in his room at the hotel thought she

would certainly meet him next day he

would be sure to happen as he got into

bed he thought how lately she had been a

girl at school doing lessons like his

own daughter he recalled the diffidence

the angularity that was still manifest

in her laugh and her manner of talking

with a stranger this must have been the

first time in her life she had been

alone in surroundings in which she was

followed looked at merely from a secret

motive which she could hardly fail to

guess he recalled her slender delicate

neck her lovely grey eyes there’s

something both etic about her anyway he

thought and went to sleep part two a

week had passed since they had made

acquaintance it was a holiday it was

sultry indoors followed the street the

wind whirled the dust round and round

and blew people’s hats off

it was a thirsty day and grew off often

went into the pavilion and pressed Anna

Sergeyevna to have syrup in water or a

nice one did not know what to do with

oneself in the evening when the wind had

dropped a little they went out on the

drawing to see the steamer come in there

were a great many people walking about

the harbour they had gathered to welcome

someone bringing bouquets and to

peculiarities of well dress Yalta

were very conspicuous the elderly ladies

were dressed like young ones and there

were great numbers of generals owing to

the roughness of the sea the steamer

arrived late after the Sun had set and

it was a long time turning about before

it reached the groin Anna Sergeyevna

looked through her long yet at the

steamer and the passengers is though

looking for acquaintances and when she

turned to guru off her eyes were shining

she talked a great deal and asked

disconnected questions forgetting next

moment what she had asked then she

dropped her long net in the crush the

festive crowd began to disperse it was

too dark to see people’s faces the wind

had completely dropped but guru from

Anna Sergeyevna

still stood as though waiting to see

someone else come from the steamer Anna

Sergeyevna was silent now and sniffed

the flowers without looking at gu off

the weather was better this evening he

said or shall we go now shall we drive

somewhere she made no answer then he

looked at her intently and all at once

put his arm around her and kissed her on

the lips and breathed in the moisture

and the fragrance of the flowers and he

immediately looked round him anxiously

wondering whether anyone had seen them

let’s go to your hotel he said softly

and both walked quickly the room was

closed and smelled too the scent she had

bought at the Japanese shop who off

looked at her and thought what different

people one meets in the world from the

past he preserved memories of careless

good natured women who loved cheerfully

and were grateful to him for the

happiness he gave them however brief it

might be and of women like his wife who

loved without any genuine feeling with

superfluous phrases a

hysterically with an expression that

suggested that it was not love nor

passion that something more significant

and of two or three others very

beautiful cold women on whose faces he

had caught a glimpse of rapacious

expression an obstinate desire to snatch

from life more than it could give and

these were capricious unreflecting

domineering on intelligent women not in

their first youth and when guru grew

cold to them their beauty excited his

hatred and the lace on their linen

seemed to him like scales but in this

case there was still the diffidence the

angular to her long hair T of

inexperienced youth an awkward feeling

and there was a sense of consternation

as though someone had suddenly knocked

at the door the attitude of UNASUR gave

now the lady with the dog to what had

happened was somehow peculiar very grave

as though it were her fall so it seemed

and it was strange and inappropriate her

face dropped and faded and on both sides

of it her long hair hung down mournfully

she mused in the dejected attitude like

the woman who was a sinner in an old

fashion the picture he thrown she said

you will be the first to despise me now

there was a watermelon on the table grew

off cut himself a slice and began eating

it without haste there followed a blur

of silence on the sergey apna was

touching there was about her the purity

of a good simple woman who had seen

little of life the solitary candle

burning on the table threw a faint light

on her face yet it was clear that she

was very unhappy how could I despise you

asked her off you don’t know what you’re

saying

God forgive me she said in her eyes

filled with tears he thoughtful you

seemed to feel you need to be forgiven

forgiven no I am a bad law woman I

despised myself and don’t attempt to

justify myself it’s not my husband but

myself I have deceived and not only just

now I have been deceiving myself for a

long time my husband may be a good

honest man but he is a flunky I don’t

know what he does there what heat work

is but I know he is a flunky I was 20

when I was married to him I have been

tormented by curiosity I wanted

something better there must be a

different sort of life I said to myself

I wanted to live to live to live I was

fired by curiosity you don’t understand

it but I swear to God I could not

control myself something happened to me

I could not be restrained I told my

husband I was ill and came here and here

I had been walking about as though I

were dazed like a mad creature and now I

have become a vulgar contemptible woman

whom anyone may despise mirov felt bored

already

listening to her he was irritated by the

naive tone by this remorse so unexpected

and inopportune but for the tears in her

eyes he might have thought she was

jesting or playing a part I don’t

understand he said softly what is it you

want

she hit her face on his breast and

pressed close to him believe me believe

me I beseech you she said I love a pure

honest life and seeing his love from to

me I don’t know what I am doing simple

people say the evil one has beguiled me

and I may say up myself now that the

evil one has beguiled me ash ash he

muttered he looked at her fists

ize histor talks softly and

affectionately and by degrees she was

comforted and her gaiety returned and

they both began laughing afterwards when

they went out there was not a soul on

the seafront the town with its cypresses

had quite a death like air but the sea

still broken oily on the shore a single

barge was rocking on the waves and a

lantern was blinking sleepily on it

they found a cab and drove to or yonder

I found out your surname in the hall

just now was written on the board Vong

dealer it’s said GU off your husband no

I believe his grandfather was a German

but he is an Orthodox Russian himself a

Tory andhe they sat on a seat not far

from the church looked down at the sea

and asylum the altar was hardly visible

through the morning mist white clouds

stood motionless on the mountaintops the

leaves did not stir on the trees

grasshoppers chirped

and the monotonous hollow sound of the

sea rising up from below spoke of the

Peace of the eternal sleep awaiting us

so it must have sounded when there was

no Yalta no or yonder here so it sounds

now and it will sound as indifferently

and monotonous ly when we are all no

more and in this constancy in this

complete indifference to the life and

death of each of us there lies hid

perhaps a pledge of our eternal

salvation of the unceasing movement of

life upon earth of unceasing progress

toward perfection sitting beside a young

woman who in the dawn seems so lovely

soothed and spellbound in these magical

surroundings the sea mountains clouds

the open sky guru fought how in reality

everything is beautiful in this world

when one reflects everything except

what we think or do ourselves when we

forget our human dignity and the higher

aims of our existence a man walked up to

them probably a keeper looked at them

and walked away and this detail seemed

mysterious and beautiful too

they saw a steamer come from Theodosia

with its lights out in the glow of dawn

theatres dew on the grass said anna

sergeyevna after silence hears it’s time

to go home they went back to town then

they met everyday at 12 o’clock on the

seafront lunched and dined together went

for walks admired the sea she complained

that she slept badly that her heart

throbbed violently asked the same

questions troubled now by jealousy and

now by the fear that he did not respect

her sufficiently and often in the square

or Gardens when there was no one near

them he suddenly drew her to him and

kissed her passionately complete

idleness these kisses in broad daylight

while he looked round in dread of

someone else’s seeing them the heat the

smell of the sea and the continual

passing to and fro before him of idle

well-dressed well-fed people made a new

man of him he told honor forgave now how

beautiful she was

how fascinating he was impatiently

passionate he would not move a step away

from her while she was often pensive and

continually urged him to confess that he

did not respect her did not love her in

the least and thought of her as nothing

but a common woman rather late almost

every evening they drove somewhere out

of town to orient to the waterfall and

the expedition was always a success

the scenery invariably impressed them as

grand and beautiful they were expecting

her husband to come but a letter came

from him saying that there was something

wrong with his eyes and he entreated his

wife

to come home as quickly as possible anna

sergeyevna made haste to go it’s a good

thing I’m going away she said to goo off

it’s the finger of destiny she went by

coach and he went with her

they were driving the whole day when she

had got into a compartment of the

Express and when the second Bell had

wronged she said let me look at you once

more look at you once again that’s right

she did not shed tears but was so sad

that she seemed ill and her face was

quivering I shall remember you think of

you she said God be with you be happy

don’t remember evil against me we are

parting forever it must be so for we opt

never to have met well God be with you

the Train moved off rapidly it’s light

soon vanished from sight in a minute

later there was no sound of it as though

everything had conspired together to end

as quickly as possible

that sweet delirium that madness left

alone on the platform and gazing into

the dark distance goo Rolfe listened to

the chirp of the grasshoppers and the

hum of the telegraph wires feeling as

though he had only just waked up and he

thought musing that there had been

another episode or adventure in his life

and it too was at an end and nothing was

left of it but a memory he was moved sad

and conscious of a slight remorse this

young woman whom he would never meet

again had not been happy with him he was

genuinely warm and affectionate with her

but yet in his manner his tone and his

caresses there had been a shade of light

irony the coarse condescension of the

happy man who was besides almost twice

her age all the time she had called him

kind exceptional lofty

obviously he had seemed to her different

from what he really was so he had

unintentionally deceived her here at the

station was already a scent of autumn it

was a cold evening his time for me to go

north

but ger off as he left the platform high

time part three at home in Moscow

everything was in its winter routine the

stoves were heated and in the morning it

was still dark when the children were

having breakfast and getting ready for

school and the nurse would light the

lamp for a short time the Frost’s had

begun already when the first snow has

fallen on the first day of sleigh

driving it is pleasant to see the white

earth the white roofs to draw a soft

delicious breath and the season brings

back the days of one’s youth the old

limes and birches quite with hoarfrost

have a good-natured expression they are

nearer to one’s heart than cypresses and

palms and near them one doesn’t want to

be thinking of the sea in the mountains

Maroof was Moscow born he arrived in

Moscow on a fine frosty day and when he

put on his fur coat and warm gloves and

walked along Petrovka and went on

Saturday evening he heard the ringing of

the bells his recent trip and the places

he had seen lost all charm for him

little by little he became absorbed in

Moscow life greedily read three

newspapers a day and declared he did not

read the Moscow papers on principle he

already felt a longing to go to

restaurants clubs dinner parties

anniversary celebrations and he felt

flattered at entertaining distinguished

lawyers and artists and at playing cards

with a professor at the doctors club he

can already eat a whole plate full of

salt fish and cabbage

in another month he fancied the image of

anna sergeyevna would be shrouded in a

mist in his memory and only from time to

time would visit him in his dreams with

a touching smile as others did but more

than a month past real winter had come

and everything was still clear in his

memory as though he had parted with

honor sergeyevna only the day before and

his memories glowed more and more

vividly when in the evening stillness he

heard from his study the voices of his

children preparing their lessons or when

he listened to a song or the organ at

the restaurant or the storm howl din the

chimney suddenly everything would rise

up in his memory what had happened on

the groin and the early morning with the

mist on the mountains and the steamer

coming from Theodosia

and the kisses he would pace a long time

about his room remembering it all and

smiling that his memories passed into

dreams and in his fancy the past was

mingled with what was to come

honor Sergeyevna did not visit him in

dreams but followed him about everywhere

like a shadow and haunted him when he

shut his eyes he saw her as though she

were living before him and she seemed to

him lovelier younger tenderer than she

was and he imagined himself finer than

he had been at Yalta in the evenings she

peeped out at him from the bookcase from

the fireplace from the corner he heard

her breathing the caressing rustle of

her dress in the street he watched the

women looking for someone like her he

was tormented by an intense desire to

confide his memories to someone but in

his home it was impossible to talk of

his love and he had no one outside he

could not talk to his tenants nor to

anyone at the bank

and wanted he to talk of had he been in

love then had there been anything

beautiful political or edifying or

simply interesting in his relations with

Anna Sergeyevna and there was nothing

for him but to talk vaguely of love of

woman and no one guessed what it meant

only his wife twitched her black

eyebrows and said the part of the

Ladykiller does not suit you at all

Dimitri one evening coming out of the

doctors club with an official with whom

he had been playing cards he could not

resist saying if only you knew what a

fascinating woman I made the

acquaintance of in Yalta the official

got into his sleigh and was driving away

but turned suddenly and shouted victory

Dmytryk what you will write this evening

the sturgeon was a bit too strong these

words saw ordinary for some reason moved

guru off to indignation and struck him

is degrading and unclean what savage

manner is what people what senseless

Knights what uninteresting uneventful

days the rage for card playing the

gluttony the drunkenness the continual

talk always about the same thing

useless pursuits and conversations

always about same things absorbed the

better part of one’s time the better

part of one’s strength and in the end

there is left a life groveling and

curtailed worthless and trivial there is

no escaping or getting away from it just

as though one were in a madhouse

more prison gurov did not sleep all

night and was filled with indignation

and he had a headache all next day and

the next night he slept badly he sat up

in bed thinking or paced up and down in

his room he was sick of his children

sick of the bank he

had no desire to go anywhere or talk of

anything in the holidays in December he

prepared for a journey and told his wife

he was going to Petersburg to do

something in the interests of a young

friend and he set off for s what for he

did not very well know himself he wanted

to see Anna Sergeyevna and to talk with

her to arrange meeting if possible

he reached s in the morning and took the

best room at the hotel in which the

floor was covered with grey army cloth

and on the table was an inkstand gray

with dust and adorned with a figure on

horseback with its hat in its hand and

its head broken off the hotel porter

gave him the necessary information von

dieter it’s lived in a house of his own

in Olga and Charney Street who was not

far from the hotel he was rich and lived

in good style and had his own horses

everyone in town knew him the porter

pronounced his name Dida Ritz Gaurav

went without haste too old on Charni

Street and found the house just opposite

the house stretched a long grey fence

adorned with nails one would run away

from a fence like that

thought go off looking from the fence to

the windows of the house and back again

he considered today was a holiday and

the husband would probably be at home

and in any case it would be tactless to

go into the house and upset her if he

were to send her a note it might fall

into her husband’s hands and then it

might ruin everything

the best thing was to trust to chance

and he kept walking up and down the

street by the fence waiting for the

chance he saw a beggar go in at the gate

and the dogs fly at him that an hour

later he heard a piano and the sounds

were faint and indistinct

probably he was onerous or gave now

playing the front door suddenly opened

and an old woman came out followed by

the familiar white Pomeranian wore off

was on the point of calling to the dog

but his heart began beating violently

and in his excitement he could not

remember the dog’s name he walked up and

down and loathed the grey fence more and

more and by now he thought irritably

that anna sergeyevna had forgotten him

and was probably already amusing herself

with someone else and and that that was

very natural in a young woman who had

nothing to look at from morning till

night but that confounded fence he went

back to his hotel room and sat for a

long while on the sofa not knowing what

to do then he had dinner and a long nap

all stupid and worrying it is a thought

when he woke and looked at the dark

windows it was already evening here I’ve

had a good sleep for some reason but

shall I do in the night he sat on the

bed which was covered by a cheap grey

blanket such as one sees in hospitals

and he taunted himself in his vexation

so much for the lady with the dog so

much for adventure here in a nice fix

that morning at the station a poster in

large letters caught his eye the Geisha

was to be performed for the first time

he thought of this and went to the

theatre it’s quite possible she may go

to the first performance he thought the

theater was full as in all provincial

theatres there was a fog above the

chandelier the gallery was noisy and

restless in the front row the local

dandies were standing up before the

beginning of the performance with her

hands behind them in the governor’s box

the governor’s daughter wearing a boa

was sitting in the front seat while the

governor himself looked modestly behind

the curtains with only his hands visible

the orchestra was a long time tuned

the stage curtain swayed all the time

the audience were coming in and taking

their seats her off looked at them

eagerly on a sergeyevna to came in she

sat down in the third row and when gurov

looked at her his heart contracted and

he understood clearly that for him there

was in the whole world

no creature so near so precious and so

important to him she this little woman

in no way remarkable lost in a

provincial crowd with a vulgar lure net

in her hand filled his whole life now

was his sorrow and his joy the one

happiness that he now desired for

himself and to the sounds of the

inferior Orchestra of the wretched

provincial violins he thought how lovely

she was he thought and dreamed a young

man was small side-whiskers tall and

stooping came in with anna sergeyevna

and sat down beside her he bent his head

at every step and seemed to be

continually bowing most likely this was

the husband whom at Yalta in a rush of

bitter feeling she had called a flunkey

and there really was in his long figure

his side whiskers and the small bald

patch on his head something of the

flunkies of C crea sness his smile was

sugary in his buttonhole there was some

badge of distinction like the number on

a waiter

during the first interval the husband

went away to smoke she remained alone in

her stall mirov who was sitting in the

stalls ii went up to her and said in the

trembling voice with a forced smile good

evening she glanced at him and turned

pale then glanced again with horror

unable to believe her eyes and tightly

gripped the fan in the lorne yet in her

hands evidently struggling with herself

not to faint both were silent

she was sitting he was standing

frightened by her confusion and not

venturing to sit down beside her the

violins and the flute began tuning up he

felt suddenly frightened it seemed as

though all the people in the boxes were

looking at them she got up and went

quickly to the door he followed her and

both walked senselessly along the

passages and up and down stairs and

figures in legal scholastic and civil

service uniforms all wearing badges

flitted before their eyes that caught

glimpses of ladies of fur coats hanging

on the pigs the drafts blew on them

bringing a smells stale tobacco

and goo off whose heart was beating

violently thought oh heavens why are

these people here in this Orchestra and

at that instant he recalled how when he

had seen anna sergeyevna off at the

station he had thought that everything

was over they would never meet again but

how far they were still from the end on

the narrow gloomy staircase over which

was written to the amphitheater

she stopped how you have frightened me

she said breathing hard

still pale overwhelmed oh how you have

frightened me

I am half dead why have you come why

but do understand Anna do understand he

said hastily in a low voice I entreat

you to understand she looked at him with

dread with entreaty with love she looked

at him intently to keep his features

more distinctly in her memory

I am so unhappy she went on not heeding

him I have thought of nothing but you

all the time I live only in the thought

of you and they wanted to forget to

forget you but why oh why have you come

on the landing above them to school boys

were smoking and looking down that was

nothing to go off

he drew on us or gave that to him and

began kissing her face her cheeks in her

hands how are you doing what are you

doing she cried in horror pushing him

away we are mad go away today cool I

wait once and he seats you for all the

DS sacred I implore you there are people

coming this way someone was coming up

the stairs you must go away Anna

Sergeyevna went on in a whisper who you

here to meet three dmitritch I will come

and see you in Moscow I have never been

happy I am miserable now and I never

never shall be happy never don’t make me

suffer still more I spent or come to

Moscow but now let us part

my precious good dear one we must part

she pressed his hand and began rapidly

going downstairs looking round at him

and from her eyes he could see that she

really was unhappy Gaurav stood for a

little while listened then one all sound

had died away

he found his coat and left the theatre

part 4 and honor' Sergeyevna began

coming to see him in Moscow once in 2 or

3 months she left s telling her husband

that she was going to consult a doctor

about an internal complaint and her

husband believed her and did not believe

her in Moscow she stayed the slaviansk e

bazaar hotel and it once sent a man in a

red cap to go off her off went to see

her and no one in Moscow knew of it once

he was going to see her in this way on a

winter morning the messenger had come

the evening before when he was out with

him walked his daughter whom he wanted

to take to school it was on the way snow

was falling in big wet flakes it’s 3

degrees above freezing point and yet it

is snowing said guru off to his daughter

the fall is only on the surface of the

earth there is quite a different

temperature at a great

height in the atmosphere and why are

there no thunderstorms in the winter

father he explained that too he talked

thinking all the while that he was going

to see her and no living soul knew of it

and probably never would know he had two

lives one open scene and known by all

who have cared to know full of relative

truth and of relative falsehood exactly

like the lives of his friends and

acquaintances in another life running

its course in secret and through some

strange perhaps accidental conjunction

of circumstances everything that was

essential of interest in a value to him

everything in which he was sincere and

did not deceive himself everything that

made the kernel of his life was hidden

from other people and all that was false

in him the sheath in which he hid

himself to conceal the truth such for

instance as his work in the bank his

discussions at the club his lower race

his presence with his wife at

anniversary festivities all that was

open and he judged of others by himself

not believing in what he saw and always

believing that every man had his real

most interesting life under the cover of

secrecy and under the cover of night all

personal life rested on secrecy and

possibly it was partly on that account

that civilized man was so nervously

anxious that personal privacy should be

respected after leaving his daughter at

school Gaurav went on to the slaviansk e

bazaar he took off his fur coat below

went upstairs and softly knocked at the

door Anna Sergeyevna wearing his

favorite gray dress exhausted by the

journey and the suspense had been

expecting him since the evening before

she was paid oh she looked at him and

did not smile and he had hardly come in

when she fell

his breasts their kiss was slow and

prolonged as though they had not met for

two years well are you getting on there

yes what news

wait I’ll tell you directly I can’t talk

she could not speak she was crying she

turned away from him and pressed her

handkerchief to her eyes let her have

her cry out I’ll sit down and wait he

thought and he sat down in an armchair

then he rang and asked for tea to be

brought him and while he drank his tea

she remained standing at the window with

her back to him

she was crying from emotion from the

miserable consciousness that their life

was so hard for them they could only

meet in secret hiding themselves from

people like thieves was not their life

shattered come do stop he said it was

evident to him that this level theirs

would not soon be over that he could not

see the end of it on a Sergey ofnot grew

more and more attached to him she adored

him and it was unthinkable to say to her

that it was bound to have an end someday

besides she would not have believed it

he went up to her and took her by the

shoulders to say something affectionate

and cheering and at that moment he saw

himself in the looking-glass his hair

was already beginning to turn gray and

it seemed strange to him that he had

grown so much older so much plainer

during the last few years the shoulders

on which his hands rested were warm and

quivering he felt compassion for this

life still so warm and lovely but

probably already not far from beginning

to fade and wither like his own why did

she love him so much he always seemed to

women different from what he was and

they loved in him not himself but the

man created

by their imagination whom they had been

eagerly seeking all their lives and

afterwards when they noticed their

mistake they loved him all the same and

not one of them had been happy with him

time passed he had made their

acquaintance got on with them parted but

he had never once loved it was anything

you like but not love and only now when

his head was gray he had fallen properly

really in love for the first time in his

life

Anna Sergeyevna and he loved each other

like people very close and akin like

husband and wife like tender friends it

seemed to them that fate itself had

meant them for one another and they

could not understand why he had a wife

and she a husband and it was as though

they were a pair of birds of passage

caught and forced to live in different

cages they forgave each other for what

they were ashamed of in their past they

forgave everything in the present and

felt that this love of theirs had

changed them both in moments of

depression in the past he had comforted

himself with any arguments that came

into his mind

but now he no longer cared for arguments

he felt profound compassion he wanted to

be sincere and tender don’t cry my

darling he said you’ve had your cry

that’s enough let us talk now let us

think of some plan then they spent a

long while taking counsel together

talked of how to avoid the necessity for

secrecy for deception for living in

different towns and not seeing each

other

for long at a time how could they be

free from this intolerable bondage oh

how he asked

clutching his head how and it seemed as

though in a WWE while while the solution

would be found and then a new and

splendid life would begin and it was

clear to both of them that they still

had a long long road before them and

that the most complicated and difficult

part of it was only just beginning