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RECOLLECTIONS OF CHILDHOOD 111
She would like to tear herself away from that
narrow world in which she lives, but everything which
is " pas comme il faut" and vulgar alarms her.
One day, during a festival in the city, she makes
the acquaintance of a young student (of course, the
hero of a novel of that day was bound to be a
student). This young man makes a deep impression on
her, but she behaves in a manner becoming to a
proper, well-bred young lady, and shows no sign that lie
pleases her; and their acquaintance is confined to this
one meeting.
After this Lilenka is bored, at first, but after a
while she calms down. Only when some trifle that
recalls this never-to-be-forgotten evening falls
accidentally under her hand, among the various
mementos of her colorless life with which her drawers are
filled,—as is the case with most young ladies,—does
she make haste to clap to the drawer; and then she
goes about all day gloomy and dissatisfied.
But one day she has a dream — the student comes
to her and begins to upbraid her for not having
followed him. There passes before Lilenka, in her
dream, a series of pictures, from an honest,
industrious life with the man she loves, among clever
companions, a life full of warm, bright happiness in the
present, and of immeasurable store of hopes for the
future. " Look and repent! Such was your life and
mine!" the student says to her, and vanishes.
Lilenka awakes, and under the influence of her
dream she makes up her mind to disregard the
consideration of what is proper for a young girl. She,
who has never hitherto left the house unaccompanied
by either a maid or a lackey, now goes off secretly,
hires the first public cab she encounters, and drives
to the distant, wretched street where, as she is aware,
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