An early tale (1887) that Chekhov did not choose to include in his Collected Stories. A fascinating dynamic emerges: what feelings should Tsvyetkov have for this dying boy? As a physician, he should be compassionate, but relatively detached. But as the boy's father? Certainly the loss of a son must affect him profoundly. He does all he can to avoid losing his son. Medicine can't cure the tumor, but perhaps Tsvyetkov is not really the boy's father. In that case, he can avoid the pain. Thus, he begs the woman to tell him the truth, obviously wanting to be let off the hook. But she will not be swayed. "You must suffer just as much as I do," she seems to be saying. "You cannot distance yourself."