Chapter 13

           Therearenoconditionstowhichamancannotbecomeused,especiallyifheseesthatallaroundhimarelivinginthesameway.Levincouldnothavebelievedthreemonthsbeforethathecouldhavegonequietlytosleepintheconditioninwhichhewasthatday,thatleadinganaimless,irrationallife,livingtoobeyondhismeans,afterdrinkingtoexcess(hecouldnotcallwhathappenedattheclubanythingelse),forminginappropriatelyfriendlyrelationswithamanwithwhomhiswifehadoncebeeninlove,andastillmoreinappropriatecalluponawomanwhocouldonlybecalledalostwoman,afterbeingfascinatedbythatwomanandcausinghiswifedistress—hecouldstillgoquietlytosleep.Butundertheinfluenceoffatigue,asleeplessnight,andthewinehehaddrunk,hissleepwassoundanduntroubled.

           Atfiveo’clockthecreakofadooropeningwakedhim.Hejumpedupandlookedround.Kittywasnotinbedbesidehim.Buttherewasalightmovingbehindthescreen,andheheardhersteps.

           “Whatisit?...whatisit?”hesaid,half-asleep.“Kitty!Whatisit?”

           “Nothing,”shesaid,comingfrombehindthescreenwithacandleinherhand.“Ifeltunwell,”shesaid,smilingaparticularlysweetandmeaningsmile.

           “What?hasitbegun?”hesaidinterror.“Weoughttosend....”andhurriedlyhereachedafterhisclothes.

           “No,no,”shesaid,smilingandholdinghishand.“It’ssuretobenothing.Iwasratherunwell,onlyalittle.It’sallovernow.”

           Andgettingintobed,sheblewoutthecandle,laydownandwasstill.