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122
SÖNYA KOVALÉVSKY
I also begged permission to be present during his visit.
Two elderly German aunts invented pretexts for
making their appearance in the room from moment to
moment, and stared curiously at the writer, as if he
had been some sort of wild animal; and at last it
ended in their seating themselves on the divan, and
remaining there till the end of his visit.
Aniuta was furious that her first meeting with
Dostoévsky, of which she had dreamed so much in
advance, should take place under such petty
conditions; assuming her angry mien, she maintained a
persistent silence. It was awkward for Feödor
Mik-håilovitch also, and he was not himself in this
constrained atmosphere. He grew confused among
all these elderly ladies, and he got vexed. He seemed
old and ill that day, as he always did when he was not
in good spirits. The whole time he kept plucking
nervously at his thin reddish beard, and biting his lips,
which distorted his face.
Mama tried with all her might to start an
interesting conversation. With the amiable society smile
which was peculiar to her, she tried to find something
agreeable and flattering to say to him, and something
interesting to ask him, but it was evident that she
felt timid.
Dostoévsky replied in monosyllables with
premeditated discourtesy. At last, finding herself at the end
of her resources, mama fell into silence also. After
sitting with us for half an hour, Feödor
Mikhåilo-vitch took up his hat, and went away with a hasty
awkward bow, and without having shaken hands
with any one.
When he disappeared Aniuta ran off to her own
room, and flinging herself on the bed she burst into
tears. "They always, always ruin everything," she
repeated, as she sobbed convulsively.
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