‘Nothing. Why, do you see something?’
‘Not now, but I did.’
She drew deep, gasping breaths.
‘Whom? what?’
‘My mother,’ she said slowly, and she began trembling all over. I
shivered too, as though with cold. I suddenly felt ashamed, as though I
were guilty. And indeed, wasn’t I guilty at that instant?
‘Nonsense!’ I began; ‘what do you mean? Tell me rather----’
‘No, for God’s sake, no!’ she interposed, clutching her head. ‘This
is madness--I’m going out of my mind.… One can’t play with this--it’s
death.… Good-bye.…’