himself in his own fire, for the fire burned with might and main in him. In addition, his wife picked up a book in her hands with indifference, without being nervous at all, she opened the right page and, without paying attention to it, began to read! He choked with rage. Looking at his wife’s calm, carefree face, at her half-exposed white breasts and sloping shoulders, he realised for the first time with all clarity that he could never defeat her, that no matter how much they grappled, defeat would always await him. And behind this painful confession, another fact slipped through… He is not a worthy match for this woman. He cannot offer anything worthy of her sharp mind and young strong body, which wants to live not in peace, but with passion. Such thoughts, which first appeared in his head, began to awaken new feelings in the recesses of his chicken breast. It seems that for no reason at all, he suddenly remembered his dead wife. But she was much softer and more submissive than this woman. She silently listened to him and did not read Dumas novels at night. Yes, she would not have swaggered, not puffed up arrogantly, like this one… She would have been silent as usual, and this is much better than the behaviour of this one… “So, she considers herself superior to me, it turns out that to her, I’m no different to a wall, a chair. I scream, I get nervous, I prove something. What for?! What can I prove to her? The thing is, I’m dependent on her, and she doesn’t care. That’s the point!” These arguments were unbearable for Sargel, chok- ing with hatred and impotence, not wanting to stay near her, he went out into the corridor with an unfortunate air. “But it’s such a trifle!” he thought, standing in front of the window. “It’d be shameful to tell others that someone else’s portrait painted by some artist! Would be the reason for our divorce? For our family to split. It’d be a delight to our enemies. That we are so petty we stumble over any kind of nonsense? Damn it, we are strangers to each other…! And if I die?” He winced at the thought. “Will she even cry? No, she doesn’t care!” He saw his first wife again. Then his two adult children. His two sons who
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