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noble, were generous, Alexey Fyodorovitch, let me tell you. We have only been unfortunate. We were too ready to make every sacrifice for an unworthy, perhaps, or fickle man. There was one manone, an officer too, we loved him, we sacrificed everything to him. That was long ago, five years ago, and he has forgotten us, he married. Now he is a widower, he has written, he is coming here, and, do you know, weve loved him, none but him, all this time, and weve loved him all our life! He will come, and Grushenka will be happy again. For the last five years shes been wretched. But who can reproach her, who can boast of her favour? Only that bedridden old merchant, but he is more like her father, her friend, her protector. He found her then in despair, in agony, deserted by the man she loved. She was ready to drown herself then, but the old merchant saved hersaved her! You defend me very kindly, dear young lady. You are in a great hurry about everything, Grushenka drawled again. Defend you! Is it for me to defend you? Should I dare to defend you? Grushenka, angel, give me your hand. Look at that charming soft little hand, Alexey Fyodorovitch! Look at it! It has brought me happiness and has lifted me up, and Im going to kiss it, outside and inside, here, here, here! And three times she kissed the certainly charming, though rather fat, hand of Grushenka in a sort of rapture. She held out her hand with a charming musical, nervous little laugh, watched the sweet young lady, and obviously liked having her hand kissed. Perhaps theres rather too much rapture, thought Alyosha. He blushed. He felt a peculiar uneasiness at heart the whole time. You wont make me blush, dear young lady, kissing my hand like this before Alexey Fyodorovitch. Do you really think I meant to make you blush? said Katerina Ivanovna, somewhat surprised. Ah, my dear, how little you understand me! Yes, and you too perhaps quite misunderstand me, dear young lady. Maybe Im not so good as I seem to you. Ive a bad heart; I will have my own way. I fascinated poor Dmitri Fyodorovitch that day simply for fun. But now youll save him. Youve given me your word. Youll explain it all to him. Youll break to him that you have long loved another man, who is now offering you his hand. Oh, no! I didnt give you my word to do that. It was you kept talking about that. I didnt give you my word. Then I didnt quite understand you, said Katerina Ivanovna slowly, turning a little pale. You promised Oh no, angel lady, Ive promised nothing. Grushenka interrupted softly and evenly, still with the same gay and simple expression. You see at once, dear young lady, what a wilful wretch I am compared with you. If I want to do a thing I do it. I may have made you some promise just now. But now again Im thinking: I may take to Mitya again. I liked him very much onceliked him for almost a whole hour. Now maybe I shall go and tell him to stay with me from this day forward. You see, Im so changeable. Just now you saidsomething quite different, Katerina Ivanovna whispered faintly. Ah, just now! But, you know, Im such a soft-hearted, silly creature. Only think what hes gone through on my account! What if when I go home I feel sorry for him? What then? I never expected |
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