"Leave me alone, Grigori! do!" exclaimed Matrona wearily, turning away from him. "Leave you alone? So that is what you want?" laughed Grigori in a malicious voice. "I am to go away, and you are to remain here, alone, free and untroubled?... No, that shall never be! Just see how you like this!" He seized her by the shoulders, and holding her tightly against him, flourished a clasp-knife in front of her face. The knife had a short, thick, rusty blade. "Well?... How do you like that?" "Oh! I wish you would stab me and make an end of it," said Matrona, with a heavy sigh. She freed herself from his grasp, and turned away. Grischka took a step backwards; the tone of her words had filled him with astonishment He had often heard similar words from her lips, but they had never before been uttered in such a desperate tone of voice. He was completely taken aback at her not showing more fear at sight of the knife. For a moment or two he had been ready to strike her--but now he could not, and would not Half dazed by the indifference she manifested towards his threats, he threw the knife on the table, and asked her with suppressed anger in his voice-- "What is it you want then, you devil?" "I want nothing, nothing," cried Matrona, sobbing hysterically. "But you, what do you want?... You came here with the intention of killing me!... Well then, kill me, and have done with it!" Grigori looked at her, and was silent He did not know what to be at next; his sensations had become so mixed and complicated. He had come with the express intention of triumphing over his wife. Last night, when they were quarrelling, she had proved herself the stronger of the two--that had been quite clear to him, and the thought of it lowered him in his own estimation. It was absolutely necessary that she should now submit to him. He did not try to explain to himself why, but he felt it was absolutely necessary. Being a man of a passionate, complex nature, he had suffered keenly, and had reflected on many things during the last few hours, but his ignorance prevented him from explaining to himself the chaos of emotions, which his wife's just and outspoken accusations had awoke in him. He perceived that she was in revolt against him, and he had brought the knife in order to frighten and subdue her. He might possibly have killed her, if she had not met his desire to subdue her with such passive resistance. But there she stood, defenceless before him, broken down with trouble--yet stronger than he. This gave him a shock, and produced on him a sobering effect. "Listen!" he said; "leave off this nonsense; you know that I could very soon finish you off with this.... One blow under the ribs, and all would be over! That would put an end to all worry and trouble.... It's very simple!"