I didn’t ask her to dress me up.
She did it herself, by force.
I’ve torn one dress already. I’ll tear this one!
I’ll tear it, I’ll tear it, I’ll tear it! . . .”
And she fell upon her luckless dress with fury.
In one moment she had torn it almost into rags.
When she had finished she was so pale she could hardly stand.
I looked with surprise at such rage.
She looked at me with a defiant air as though I too had somehow offended her.
But I knew now what to do.
I made up my mind to buy her a new dress that morning.
This wild, embittered little creature must be tamed by kindness.
She looked as though she had never met anyone kind.
If once already in spite of severe punishment she had torn another similar dress to rags, with what fury she must look on this one now, when it recalled to her those awful moments.
In Tolkutchy Market one could buy a good, plain dress very cheaply.
Unfortunately at that moment I had scarcely any money.
But as I went to bed the night before I had made up my mind to go that morning to a place where I had hopes of getting some. It was fortunately not far from the market.
I took my hat.
Elena watched me intently as though expecting something.
“Are you going to lock me in again?” she asked when I took up the key to lock the door behind me, as I had done the day before and the day before that.
“My dear,” I said, going up to her. “Don’t be angry at that.
I lock the door because someone might come.
You are ill, and you’d perhaps be frightened.
And there’s no knowing who might not come. Perhaps Bubnov might take it into her head to. . . .”
I said this on purpose.
I locked her in because I didn’t trust her.
I was afraid that she might suddenly take it into her head to leave me.
I determined to be cautious for a time.
Elena said nothing and I locked her in again.
I knew a publisher who had been for the last twelve years bringing out a compilation in many volumes.
I often used to get work from him when I was obliged to make money somehow.
He paid regularly.
I applied to him, and he gave me twentyfive roubles in advance, engaging me to compile an article by the end of the week.
But I hoped to pick up time on my novel.
I often did this when it came to the last necessity.
Having got the money I set off to the market.
There I soon found an old woman I knew who sold old clothes of all sorts.
I gave her Elena’s size approximately, and she instantly picked me out a lightcoloured cotton dress priced extremely cheaply, though it was quite strong and had not been washed more than once.
While I was about it I took a neckerchief too.
As I paid for them I reflected that Elena would need a coat, mantle, or something of that kind.
It was cold weather and she had absolutely nothing.
But I put off that purchase for another time.
Elena was so proud and ready to take offence.
Goodness knows, I thought, how she’ll take this dress even though I purposely picked out the most ordinary garment as plain and unattractive as possible.
I did, however, buy her two pairs of thread stockings and one pair of woollen.
Those I could give her on the ground that she was ill and that it was cold in the room.
She would need underclothes too.
But all that I left till I should get to know her better.
Then I bought some old curtains for the bed. They were necessary and might be a great satisfaction to Elena.
With all these things I returned home at one o’clock in the afternoon.