The Possessed

f that almost forgotten incident with w

d appearance. But of all these interesting events I will speak later. For the present I will confine myself to saying that Praskovya Ivanovna brought Varvara Petrovna, who was expecting her so impatiently, a mos

between her and Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch. I don't know the reasons, but I fancy, my dear Varvara Petrovna, that you will have to ask your Darya Pavlovna for them. T

erted by sentimental effects and enigmas. She sternly demanded the most precise and satisfactory explanations. Praskovya Ivanovna immediately lowered her tone and even ended by dissolving into tears and expressions of the warmest fr

not only withdrew them completely in the end, but even particularly begged Varvara Petrovna to pay no attention to her words, because "they had been said in irritation." In fact, it had all been left very far from clear-suspicious, indeed. According to her account the quarrel had arisen from Liza's "obstinat

ephew," Varvara Pet

lways unable to recall Stepan Trofimovitch's n

to get somewhere) and Liza took to picking quarrels with Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch at every opportunity. She noticed that he used sometimes to talk to Dasha; and, well, she got in such a frantic state that even my life wasn't worth living, my dear. The doctors have forbidden my being irritated, and I was so sick of their lake they make such a fuss about, it simply gave me toothache, I had such rheumatism. It's stated in print that the Lake of Geneva does give people the toothache. It's a feature of the place. Then Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch suddenly got a letter from the countess and he left us at once.

as, there was nothing in the quarrel; all nons

uite ordinary and they talked out loud, too. But it all upset me so much at the ti

. Praskovya's opinion seemed to her too innocent and sentimental. "Praskovya has always been too sentimental from the old schooldays upwards," she reflected. "Nicolas is not the man to run away from a girl's taunts. There's some other reason for it, if there really

. I simply confine myself as chronicler to recording events precisely as they happened, and it is not my fault if they seem incredible. Yet I must once more testify that by the morning there was not the least suspicion of Dasha left in Varvara Petrovna's mind, though in reality there never had been any-she had too much conf

arvara Petrovna demanded from her a full account of her impressions abroad, especially of nature, of the inhabitants, of the towns, the customs, their arts and commerce-of everything she had time to observe. She ask

rupted suddenly, "is there noth

nt's thought, and she glanced at Varvar

ul, on your heart,

ed, quietly, but with a

w sit still and listen. In front of me, on that chair. I want to see

ong, inquiring, but not

r than anyone what nonsense that is. You're a sensible girl, and there must be no mistakes in your life. Besides,

ringly, and this time not simply wit

ife of a distinguished man. Look at him on the other hand. Though I've provided for him, if I die what will become of him? But I could trust him to you. Stay, I've not finished. He's frivolous, shilly-shally, cruel, egoistic, he has low habits. But mind

irritably. "Do you hear? Wh

istened and d

etic old woman. He doesn't deserve to be loved by a woman at all, but he deserves to be loved for his help

her head af

ng; he'll write you letters from one room to another, two a day, but he won't be able to get on without you all the same, and that's the chief thing. Make him obey you. If you can't make him you'll be a fool. He'll want to hang himself and threaten, to-don't you believe it. It's nothing but nonsense. Don't believe it; but still keep a sharp look-out, you never can tell, and one day he may hang himself. It does happen with people like that. It's not through strength of will but through weakness that people hang

ovna, if I really must be m

at?" Varvara Petrovna looked

ing at her embroidery

u, yet it's not because it's necessary, but simply because the idea has occurred to me, and only to Stepan Trofimovitch. I

ou wish, Varv

ce you pay them, you'll never be free of them. Besides, I shall always be here. You shall have twelve hundred roubles a year from me, with extras, fifteen hundred, besides board and lodging, which shall be at my expense, just as he has it now. Only you must set up your own servants. Your yearly allowance shall be paid to you all at once straight into your hands. But be kind, and sometimes give him something, and let his friends come to see him once a week, but if th

ou already, Va

free to decide. As you

Petrovna, has Stepan Trofi

ng, he doesn't know ... bu

a little again, and watched her with questioning eyes. Varvara

ee. Why, he shall crawl on his knees to ask you, he must be dying of happiness, that's how it shall be arranged. Why, you know that I'd never let you suffer. Or do you s

et brick pavements and the wooden