"Where is he?" I asked.

"He has gone away. I would not see him."

Seeing that I remained standing and silent, that I was sorry for
my father, she said:

"One must be consistent. I would not see him, and sent word to him
not to trouble to come and see us again."

A minute later I was out at the gate and walking to the town to
explain things to my father. It was muddy, slippery, cold. For the
first time since my marriage I felt suddenly sad, and in my brain
exhausted by that long, grey day, there was stirring the thought
that perhaps I was not living as I ought. I was worn out; little
by little I was overcome by despondency and indolence, I did not
want to move or think, and after going on a little I gave it up
with a wave of my hand and turned back.

The engineer in a leather overcoat with a hood was standing in the
middle of the yard.

"Where's the furniture? There used to be lovely furniture in the
Empire style: there used to be pictures, there used to be vases,
while now you could play ball in it! I bought the place with the
furniture. The devil take her!"

Moisey, a thin pock-marked fellow of twenty-five, with insolent
little eyes, who was in the service of the general's widow, stood
near him crumpling up his cap in his hands; one of his cheeks was