Anton Chekhov

“ Madame Shumikin, his mother, and Nyuta were discussing something with laughter.
Volodia listened.
" I assure you I could scarcely beheve my eyes ! " Nyuta cried. "I hardly recognised him when he began to make love to me, and actually— will you believe it— put his arms around my waist ! He has quite a way with him ! When he told me that he loved me, he had the look of a wild animal, like a Circassian."
"You don't say so !" cried his mother, rocking with long shrieks of laughter. "You don't say so! How like his father he is !" ”

“ Seeing that he was permitted to hold her arm, Volodia looked into Nyuta's laughing face and awkwardly, uneasily, put both arms around her waist, bringing his wrists together behind her back. As he held her thus, she put her hands behind her head showing the dimples in her elbows, and, arranging her hair under her kerchief, she said in a quiet voice:
"I want you to become bright and agreeable and charming, Volodia, and this you can only accomplish through the influence of women. Why, what a horrid cross face you have ! You ought to laugh and talk. Honestly, Volodia, don't be a stick ! ”

“ Volodia, do you know what makes you such a boor ? It's because you never make love. Why don't you do it ? There are no girls here, I know, but what is to prevent you from making love to a woman? Why don't you make love to me, for instance?"
Volodia listened to her and rubbed his forehead in intense, painful irresolution.
"It is only proud people who never speak and like to be alone," Nyuta continued, pulling his hand down from his forehead. "You are proud, Volodia. ”

“ I want morphine!" explained Nyuta in a whisper. "It is probably written in Latin. Wake Volodia, he will be able to find it ! "
Volodia's mother opened the door, and he caught sight of Nyuta. She was wearing the same blouse she had worn when she came from the bath-house. Her hair was hanging loose, and her face looked sleepy and dusky in the dim light.
"There, Volodia is awake!" she exclaimed. "Volodia, do get me the morphine out of the closet, there's a good boy. What a nuisance Lily is ! She always has something the matter with her." ”

“ Madame Shumikin, his mother, Nyuta, and one of the nieces were sitting on the terrace playing cards. When Volodia told them his story about having missed the train they were uneasy lest he should be late for his examination, and advised him to get up early next morning. Volodia sat down at a little distance from the card-players, and during the whole game kept his eyes fixed on Nyuta. He had already determined on a plan. He would go up to Nyuta in the dark, take her hand, and kiss her. It would not be necessary for either to speak; they would understand one another without words. ”

“ He imagined that Madame Shumikin and her nieces looked down upon his mother and himself as poor relations and dependents, and that they made fun of his mother and did not respect her. He had once overheard Madame Shumikin saying on the terrace to her cousin Anna Feodorovna that she was still pretending to be young, and that she never paid her debts and had a great hankering after other people's shoes and cigarettes. Every day Volodia would implore his mother not to go to the Shumikins' again. ”

“ To-morrow he would be as free as a bird. He would leave off his schoolboy's uniform for civilian clothes, smoke in public, and come over here to make love to Nyuta whenever he liked. He would be a young man. As for what people called his career and his future, that was perfectly clear. Volodia would not enter the government service, but would become a telegraph operator or have a drug store, and become a pharmacist. Were there not plenty of careers open to a young man? ”

“ Do hush, he can hear everything !"
"I don't like you ! I don't like you !" he went on, struggling for breath. "You are without morals or heart. Don't dare to wear that rain-coat again, do you hear me? ”