Uncle's Dream

Maria Alexandrovna Moskaleva was the principal lady of Mordasoff-there was no doubt whateveron that point! She always bore herself as though she did not care a fig for anyone, but as though noone else could do without her. True, there were uncommonly few who loved her-in fact I may saythat very many detested her; still, everyone was afraid of her, and that was what she liked!Now, why did Maria Alexandrovna, who dearly loves scandal, and cannot sleep at night unless shehas heard something new and piquant the day before, -why, or how did she know how to bearherself so that it would never strike anyone, looking at her, to suppose that the dignified lady was themost inveterate scandal-monger in the world-or at all events in Mordasoff? On the contrary, anyone would have said at once, that scandals and such-like pettiness must vanish in her presence;and that scandal-mongers, caught red-handed by Maria Alexandrovna, would blush and tremble, likeschoolboys at the entrance of the master; and that the talk would immediately be diverted intochannels of the loftiest and most sublime subjects so soon as she entered the room. MariaAlexandrovna knew many deadly and scandalous secrets of certain other Mordasoff inhabitants, which, if she liked to reveal them at any convenient opportunity, would produce results little lessterrible than the earthquake of Lisbon. Still, she was very quiet about the secrets she knew, andnever let them out except in cases of absolute need, and then only to her nearest and dearest friends. She liked to hint that she knew certain things, and frighten people out of their wits; preferring tokeep them in a state of perpetual terror, rather than crush them altogeth