While waiting for his father, Seryozha sat at the table playing with a penknife, and fell to dreaming.

Among Seryozha's favorite occupations was searching for his mother during his walks.

He did not believe in death generally, and in her death in particular, in spite of what Lidia Ivanovna had told him and his father had confirmed, and it was just because of that, and after he had been told she was dead, that he had begun looking for her when out for a walk.

Every woman of full, graceful figure with dark hair was his mother.