‘I sent for you, Elena Nikolaevna,’ he began after a protracted silence, ‘in order to have an explanation with you, or rather in order to ask you for an explanation. I am displeased with you--or no--that is too little to say: your behaviour is a pain and an outrage to me--to me and to your mother--your mother whom you see here.’ Nikolai Artemyevitch was giving vent only to the few bass notes in his voice. Elena gazed in silence at him, then at Anna Vassilyevna and turned pale. ‘There was a time,’ Nikolai Artemyevitch resumed, ‘when daughters did not allow themselves to look down on their parents--when the parental authority forced the disobedient to tremble. That time has passed, unhappily: so at least many persons imagine; but let me tell you, there are still laws which do not permit--do not permit--in fact there are still laws. I beg you to mark that: there are still laws----’ ‘But, papa,’ Elena was beginning. ‘I beg you not to interrupt me. Let us turn in thought to the past. I and Anna Vassilyevna have performed our duty. I and Anna Vassilyevna have spared nothing in your education: neither care nor expense. What you have gained from our care--is a different question; but I had the right to expect--I and Anna Vassilyevna had the right to expect that you would at least hold sacred the principles of morality which we have--_que nous avons inculqués_, which we have instilled into you, our only daughter. We had the right to expect that no new “ideas” could touch that, so to speak, holy shrine. And what do we find? I am not now speaking of frivolities characteristic of your sex, and age, but who could have anticipated that you could so far forget yourself----’ ‘Papa,’ said Elena, ‘I know what you are going to say------’ ‘No, you don’t know what I am going to say!’ cried Nikolai Artemyevitch in a falsetto shriek, suddenly losing the majesty of his oratorical pose, the smooth dignity of his speech, and his bass notes. ‘You don’t know, vile hussy!’ ‘For mercy’s sake, _Nicolas_,’ murmured Anna Vassilyevna, ‘_vous me faites mourir_?’ ‘Don’t tell me _que je vous fais mourir_, Anna Vassilyevna! You can’t conceive what you will hear directly! Prepare yourself for the worst, I warn you!’ Anna Vassilyevna seemed stupefied. ‘No,’ resumed Nikolai Artemyevitch, turning to Elena, ‘you don’t know what I am going to say!’ ‘I am to blame towards you----’ she began. ‘Ah, at last!’ ‘I am to blame towards you,’ pursued Elena, ‘for not having long ago confessed----’ ‘But do you know,’ Nikolai Artemyevitch interrupted, ‘that I can crush you with one word?’ Elena raised her eyes to look at him.