The Permanent Husband Chapter 4

In which the protagonist, roused from slumber by restless thoughts, contemplates the intricate and tormenting memories of a past passion for Natalia Vasilievna, a woman whose death has stirred long-buried reflections on love, deceit, and social pretense. He muses on the peculiar types of men and women bound by irrevocable marital roles, and, despite lingering shame and resentment, feels compelled to renew acquaintance with Natalia’s husband, drawn by some indefinable impulse.