Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Sidor ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
RECOLLECTIONS OF CHILDHOOD 117
eyes, was still so powerful,—that a torturing doubt
assailed her, if only for a moment. Had she not made
a mistake? Had she not, without knowing it,
committed some terrible and improper act ?
For several days thereafter, every one in the house
went about as if they had been dipped in water, as
was always the case after our family rows. The
servants found out all about it at once. Papa’s valet,
Ilya, according to his praiseworthy custom, had
listened to the whole of father’s conversation with my
sister, and explained it after his own fashion. The
news of what had happened, in an exaggerated and
distorted version, of course, made its way through
the whole vicinity, and for a long time afterward the
only topic of conversation among the neighbors was
the " horrible " conduct of the young lady at Palibino.
Little by little the storm subsided. A phenomenon
took place in our family which often happens in
Russian families — the children reeducated the parents.
This process of reëducation began with mother. At
the first moment she took his part thoroughly, as she
always did in all disputes between father and us
children. She was afraid that he would fall ill, and she
was angry. How could Aniuta grieve her father so?
But when she saw that arguments were useless, and
that Aniuta went about sad and hurt, she felt sorry
for her. She soon developed a curiosity to read
Ani-uta’s story, and then came a secret pride that her
daughter was an authoress. Thus her sympathies
passed over to Aniuta’s side, and father felt that he
was entirely alone.
In the first blush of his wrath, he had demanded
from his daughter a promise that she would not write
any more, and only on that condition would he
consent to pardon her. Of course, Aniuta would not
8«
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
