A master of the short form, Gina Berriault stands somewhere between Chekhov and Isaac Babel in style and psychological acuity. The seven stories - 'Infinite Passion of Expectation,' 'Tea Ceremony,' 'The Mistress,' 'The Overcoat,' 'Stolen Pleasures,' 'Works of the Imagination,' and 'Women in Their Beds' - offer a glimpse into the oeuvre of one of the most celebrated voices in American letters.