"Here, nothing," answered Tatiana, shrugging her shoulders. "By the
law, the wife belongs to her husband, and no one has any right to take
her from him." And, with the important air of one who knows the law
well and is convinced of its stability, she explained at length that
Masha must obey her husband.
"She must just hang on for the present. Let her wait--he's old; he'll
soon die. Then she'll be free, and all his money will go to her. And
then you'll marry the rich young widow, eh?"
She laughed and continued to instruct Ilya seriously.
"It would be best for you to give up your old acquaintances. They're no
use to you now, and they might get in your way. They're all so coarse
and dirty--that one, for instance, you lent money to--such a skinny
fellow, with wicked eyes."
"Gratschev?"
"Yes. What funny names common people have--Gratschev, Lunev, Petuchev,
Skvarzov.--In our set the names are much better, prettier--Avtonomov,
Korsakov--my father's name was Florianov. When I was a young girl I
was courted by a lawyer, Gloriantov. Once at the skating, he stole my
garter, and threatened to make a scandal if I did not go to his house
to get it back----"
Ilya listened, remembering his own past. He felt his soul bound by
invisible threads fast to the house of Petrusha Filimonov, and it
seemed this house would always hold him back from the peaceful life he
longed for.