''Vladimir Nabokov's Comic Quest for Reality' - Nottingham eTheses

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and Axel Rex delightful. But Margot is by far the
better actress in life. Albinus never suspects that
she stages her scenes not out of passion for him but
with only one thought in mind: that of his wealth;
he is only amazed to see "tears of that size and
brilliance" (77). She deceives him throughout as to
her feelings for him and as. to her relation with Rex.
He neither sees through her confusion when Rex first
comes to his home nor through the "farcical" situation
in which he himself unknowingly plays the role
of the fooled husband (106). He does not see through
her feigned indifference when he suggests that Axel
go with them on their journey; and it cannot be easy
for her to put on this indifference, for "she felt
that this man meant everything to her" (126). Her
talent serves her again when she manages to convince
Albinus that there is no truth in what he has heard
about herself and Rex. She invents lies, she talks,
she pleads (all the time anxious not to spoil anything).
She weeps, she has a fit of hysterics; in the
end,
feeling
she is gaining the upper hand, she accuses
Albinus because of his suspicion: "... please remember
that you've insulted me and my love for you in the
worst manner possible. I suppose you'll understand
that later" (148).
There is little acting of the kind that Margot prac-
tises all the time, on Lolita's part. Her behaviour
is an honest mirror of her mind and her emotions which
she makes no attempt to conceal. She is equally frank
in her "backfisch foolery" (112)
and in her surprised