“Why do I sit here enduring this smile with such resignation and what is this all about? Why am I here? And why all these strange sensations, this irritating, repellent female, this strange game?”

The door of the closet slammed; there was the rustle of silk. I felt it difficult to restrain myself from getting up and, and.⁠ ⁠… I don’t remember exactly; probably I wanted to tell her a number of disagreeable things. But she had already appeared.

She was dressed in a short bright-yellowish dress, black hat, black stockings. The dress was of light silk⁠—I saw clearly very long black stockings above the knees, an uncovered neck and the shadow between.⁠ ⁠…

“It’s clear that you want to seem original. But is it possible that you⁠—?”