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236 "I command you. You must!"

"I cannot! I will not!"

"Then I will read for you what is written. Just listen.—'He is a noble man, a generous man; he is my saviour! But generosity gives rise to respect, confidence, and readiness to act in unanimity, friendship. A saviour is requited by gratefulness, by devotion; that is all. His nature maybe is quicker than mine. When the blood is boiling, his caresses burn into the heart. But there is another demand; a demand for quiet, calm caresses; a demand for sweet dreams in a tender sentiment. Does he know it? Do our natures agree? our demands? He is ready to die for my sake, and I for his; but is that enough? Does he live in his thoughts for me? Do I live in my thoughts for him? Do I love him with such a love as my soul craves? Before, I did not realize the demand for a quiet, tender feeling. No, my feeling for him is not—

"I do not want to listen any more!"

Viéra Pavlovna throws away the diary with indignation:—"You wretch! you abomination! I never asked you to come! Leave me!"

Her visitor is laughing, with a still, good-humored laugh.

"No, you don't love him; these words were written with your own hand."

"I curse you!"

Viéra Pavlovna wakes up with this exclamation, and quicker than she could make out that it was only a dream that she had seen, and that she had waked up, she starts to run.

"My dear, take me in your arms! protect me! I dreamed such a terrible dream!" She snuggled up to her husband. "My dear, caress me! be tender to me! protect me!"

"Viérotchka, what is the matter with thee?" The husband embraces her. "Thou art all of a tremble!" Her husband kisses her. "Thou hast tears on thy dear cheeks! There is a cold sweat on thy brow! Thou wert running barefooted over the cold floor, darling. I am kissing thy little feet to put some warmth into them."

"Yes, fondle me! save me! I dreamed a horrible dream; I dreamed that I did not love thee."

"My dearest, whom dost thou love, if not me? No; it is an idle, absurd dream."

"Yes, I love thee! Only caress me, fondle me, kiss me! I love thee—I want to love thee!"