Seven Stories

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.