was not, as yet,
that mysterious "something" for which she had been waiting so long.

She began to read with great interest the theatrical criticisms and
the details about actors in the newspapers. Finally, whether
actuated by ennui or by an instinctive impulse, she bought a
complete set of Shakespeare's works and, forthwith, was lost! She
found that "something" for which she had sought so long; she found
her hero, her aim, her ideal--it was the theater. She devoured
Shakespeare with all the inherent intensity of her nature.

It would be difficult to epitomize the violent upheaval that now
took place in Janina's soul, the wild soaring of her imagination,
and the enlargement and expansion of her whole being. There swarmed
about her a vast throng of characters evil, noble, base, petty,
heroic, and struggling souls. There passed through her such tones
and words, such overwhelming thoughts and emotions that she felt as
though the whole universe was contained in her soul!

She became consumed with a desire for the theater and for unusual
emotions. The winters seemed too warm for her, the snowfalls too
light; the springs dragged along too slowly, the summers were too
cool, the autumns too dry; all this she visioned in her imagination
in far grander outlines. She wished to see the acme of beauty, the
acme of evil, and every act magnified to titanic proportions.

Orlowski knew a little about her "disease," but he smiled at it in
scorn.

"You comedienne!" he called her, scoffingly.

Krenska would add fuel to this fire, for she wished at any cost to
see Janina leave home. She persuaded her of her talent and warmly
praised the theatrical career.

Janina could not pluck up courage to take the decisive step. She
feared those dark and vague presentiments and an unaccountable
feeling of terror at times would seize upon her. She could not
summon the necessary determination. A storm of some kind only could
uproot her and carry her far away from home in the same way as it
uprooted the trees and scattered them over the desolate fields. She
was waiting now for some chance happening to cast her into the
world. Krenska, in the meanwhile, kept her informed of the
activities of the provincial theatrical companies. Janina made
certain preparations and savings. Her father paid her regularly the
interest on her inheritance and this enabled her in a year's time to
lay aside about two hundred rubles.

Grzesikiewicz's proposal and her fa