And yet, at the same time, the vanity of the inexperienced, nervous
youth, which had been wounded at first, now felt rather flattered at
the passion which he had inspired....
"But on the other hand," he pursued his reflections, "all that is at an
end of course.... I must have appeared ridiculous to her."....
This thought was disagreeable to him, and again he grew angry ... both
at her ... and at himself. On reaching home he locked himself in his
study. He did not wish to encounter Platósha. The kind old woman came to
his door a couple of times, applied her ear to the key-hole, and merely
sighed and whispered her prayer....
"It has begun!" she thought.... "And he is only five-and-twenty.... Akh,
it is early, early!"