“Never!… Every minute is precious! Poor Nadia has poisoned herself, and the doctor cannot leave her side.… With difficulty we saved the poor thing.… Such a misfortune! And you don't want to hear it and slam the window to!”
“Still she is alive?”
“ ‘Still’!… My good friend, that is not the way to speak about misfortunes! Who could have supposed that such a clever, honest nature would want to depart this life on account of such a creature as that Count? No, my friend, it is a misfortune for men that women cannot be perfect! However clever a woman may be, with whatever perfections she may be endowed, she has still a screw in her that prevents her and other people from living.… For instance, let us take Nadia.… Why did she do it? Self-love, nothing but self-love! Unhealthy self-love! In order to wound you she conceived the idea of marrying this Count.… She neither wanted his money nor his title … she only wanted to satisfy her monstrous self-love.… Suddenly a failure! You know that his wife has arrived.… It appears that this debauchee is married.… And people say that women are more enduring, that they know how to suffer better than men! Where is there endurance here, when such a miserable cause makes them snatch up sulphur matches? This is not endurance, it is vanity!”
“You will catch cold.…”
“What I have just seen is worse than any cold.… Those eyes, that pallor.… Oh! To unsuccessful love, to the unsuccessful attempt to mortify you is now added unsuccessful suicide.… It is difficult to imagine greater misfortunes!… My dear fellow, if you have but a drop of compassion, if … if you would see her … Well, why should you not go to her? You love her! Even if you do not love her, why should you not sacrifice your leisure to her? Human life is precious, and for it one can give … all! Save her life!”
Somebody knocked loudly at my door. I shuddered.… My heart bled.… I do not believe in presentiments, but this time my alarm was not without cause.… Somebody was knocking at my door from without.…
“Who is there?” I cried out of the window.
“I come to beg your favour!”
“What do you want?”
“A letter from the Count, your Honour! There has been a murder!”