Part 29 (2/2)

”Lizochka, I think your mother is calling you,” said the old lady.

Liza immediately got up from her chair, and left the room.

Marfa Timofeevna sat down again in her corner, Lavretsky was going to take leave of her.

”Fedia,” she said, abruptly.

”What, Aunt?”

”Are you an honorable man?”

”What?”

”I ask you--Are you an honorable man?”

”I hope so.”

”Hm! Well, then, give me your word that you are going to behave like an honorable man.”

”Certainly. But why do you ask that?”

”I know why, perfectly well. And so do you, too, my good friend.[A] As you are no fool, you will understand why I ask you this, if you will only think over it a little. But now, good-bye, my dear. Thank you for coming to see me; but remember what I have said, Fedia; and now give me a kiss. Ah, my dear, your burden is heavy to bear, I know that. But no one finds his a light one. There was a time when I used to envy the flies. There are creatures, I thought, who live happily in the world.

But one night I heard a fly singing out under a spider's claws. So, thought I, even they have their troubles. What can be done, Fedia?

But mind you never forget what you have said to me. And now leave me--leave me.”

[Footnote A: Literally, ”my foster father,” or ”my benefactor.”]

Lavretsky left by the back door, and had almost reached the street, when a footman ran after him and said, ”Maria Dmitrievna told me to ask you to come to her.”

”Tell her I cannot come just now,” began Lavretsky.

”She told me to ask you particularly,” continued the footman. ”She told me to say that she was alone.”

”Then her visitors have gone away?” asked Lavretsky.

”Yes,” replied the footman, with something like a grin on his face.

Lavretsky shrugged his shoulders, and followed him into the house.

XLI.

Maria Dmitrievna was alone in her boudoir. She was sitting in a large easy-chair, sniffing Eau-de-Cologne, with a little table by her side, on which was a gla.s.s containing orange-flower water. She was evidently excited, and seemed nervous about something.

Lavretsky came into the room.

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