Margarita was never short of money. She could buy whatever she liked. Her husband had plenty of interesting friends. Margarita never had to cook. Margarita knew nothing of the horrors of living in a shared flat. In short... was she happy? Not for a moment.

For an addict there is one pleasure of which no one can deprive him—his ability to spend his time in absolute solitude. And solitude means deep, significant thought; it means, calm, contemplation—and wisdom.

To the sound of his unbroken sobbing and the woman’s groans I managed, if the truth be known, to break the baby’s arm. The child was born dead. God, how the sweat ran down my back! For an instant I somehow imagined that some huge, grim, black figure would appear and burst into the cottage, saying in a stony voice: ‘Aha! Take away his degree!

-Не съществуват никакви теории! - крещях аз в пристъп на крайна самонадеяност, дори скърцах със зъби, и изведнъж съвсем неочаквано видях върху сивото си сако голямо мазно петно със залепнало парченце лук. Озърнах се безпомощно. От нощта нямаше и помен. Бомбардов угаси лампата и в синевата почнаха да се очертават всички предмети в цялото си безобразие. Нощта беше изядена, нощта си отиде.

Yes, man is mortal, but that would be only half the trouble. The worst of it is that he's sometimes unexpectedly mortal—there's the trick! And generally he's unable to say what he's going to do this same evening.

I believe!’ Margarita whispered solemnly. ‘I believe! Something will happen! It cannot not happen, because for what, indeed, has lifelong torment been sent to me? I admit that I lied and deceived and lived a secret life, hidden from people, but all the same the punishment for it cannot be so cruel…Something is bound to happen, because it cannot be that anything will go on for ever…