“But, I do, I do!” I shouted in my fury. “He is waiting also for the old woman’s will, for the reason that it awards Mlle. Polina a dowry. As soon as ever the money is received, she will throw herself upon the Frenchman’s neck. All women are like that. Even the proudest of them become abject slaves where marriage is concerned. What Polina is good for is to fall head over ears in love. That is my opinion. Look at her⁠—especially when she is sitting alone, and plunged in thought. All this was preordained and foretold, and is accursed. Polina could perpetrate any mad act. She⁠—she⁠—But who called me by name?” I broke off. “Who is shouting for me? I heard someone calling in Russian, ‘Alexis Ivanovitch!’ It was a woman’s voice. Listen!”

At the moment, we were approaching my hotel. We had left the café long ago, without even noticing that we had done so.