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.
142
SÖNYA KOVALÉVSKY
I began to play. The difficulty of the piece, the
necessity of looking well at every note, the fear of
making mistakes, soon absorbed all my attention to such
a degree that I was entirely taken out of my present
surroundings, and did not observe what was going on
around me. I finished with a self-satisfied
consciousness that I had played well. I felt an agreeable
weariness in my hands. Still quite under the
influence of the music, and of that pleasant emotion which
always lays hold of one after every bit of
well-executed work, I awaited the well-merited applause. But
silence reigned around me. I glanced around: there
was no one in the room.
My heart sank. Still suspecting nothing definite,
but with a dull presentiment of something evil, I
entered the adjoining room. That was empty also! At
last, on raising the portière which masked the door
into the small, corner drawing-room, I beheld Aniuta
and Feödor Mikhåilovitch there.
But heavens! —what did I behold ?
They were sitting side by side on the little divan.
The room was dimly illuminated by a lamp with a
huge shade. The shadow fell directly on my sister,
so that I could not distinguish her face; but
Dostoév-sky’s face I saw plainly; it was pale and troubled.
He was holding Aniuta’s hand in his hands, and
bending over her. He was talking in that passionate,
broken whisper, which I knew and loved so well.
" Anna Yasilievna, my darling, do you understand ?
I loved you from the first moment that I beheld you;
and before that I had already had a presentiment of
it from your letters. And my love is not the
affection of friendship, but passion — the passion of my
whole nature."
Everything swam before my eyes. A sensation of
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
