ow wrongly you behaved to me?'

Natalya looked down and repeated:

'You shall never hear his name from me.'

'Well, well,' answered Darya Mihailovna with a smile, 'I believe you.
But the day before yesterday, do you remember how--There, we will pass
that over. It is all over and buried and forgotten. Isn't it? Come, I
know you again now; but I was altogether puzzled then. There, kiss me
like a sensible girl!'

Natalya lifted Darya Mihailovna's hand to her lips, and Darya Mihailovna
kissed her stooping head.

'Always listen to my advice. Do not forget that you are a Lasunsky and
my daughter,' she added, 'and you will be happy. And now you may go.'

Natalya went away in silence. Darya Mihailovna looked after her and
thought: 'She is like me--she too will let herself be carried away by
her feelings; _mais ella aura moins d'abandon_.' And Darya Mihailovna
fell to musing over memories of the past... of the distant past.

Then she summoned Mlle. Boncourt and remained a long while closeted with
her.

When she had dismissed her she sent for Pandalevsky. She wanted at
all hazards to discover the real cause of Rudin's departure... but
Pandalevsky succeeded in completely satisfying her. It was what he was
there for.

The next day Volintsev and his sister came to dinner. Darya Mihailovna
was always very affable to him, but this time she was especially
cordial to him. Natalya felt unbearably miserable; but Volintsev was
so respectful, and addressed her so timidly, that she could not but be
grateful to him in her heart. The day passed quietly, rather tediously,
but all felt as they separated that they had fallen back into the old
order of things; and that means much, very much.

Yes, all had fallen back into their old order--all except Natalya. When
at last she was able to be alone, she dragged herself with difficulty
into her bed, and, weary and worn out, fell with her face on the pillow.
Life seemed so cruel, so hateful, and so sordid, she was so ashamed of
herself, her love, and her sorrow, that at that moment she would have
been glad to die.... There were many sorrowful days in store for her,
and sleepless nights and torturing emotions; but she was young--life
had scarcely begun for her, and sooner or later life asserts its claims.
Whatever blow has fallen on a man, he must--forgive the coarseness of
the expression--eat that day or at least the next, and that is the first
step to consolation.

Natalya suffered t