o him, that she had long had it in
her heart to say something to him, but had been afraid of annoying him.

"Have no fear; speak out,"--he said, and halted in front of her.

Liza raised her clear eyes to his.

"You are so kind,"--she began, and, at the same time, she said to
herself:--"'yes, he really is kind' ... you will pardon me, but I ought
not to speak of this to you ... but how could you ... why did you
separate from your wife?"

Lavretzky shuddered, glanced at Liza, and seated himself beside her.

"My child," he began,--"please do not touch that wound; your hands are
tender, but nevertheless I shall suffer pain."

"I know,"--went on Liza, as though she had not heard him:--"she is
culpable toward you, I do not wish to defend her; but how is it possible
to put asunder that which God has joined together?"

"Our convictions on that point are too dissimilar, Lizaveta
Mikhailovna,"--said Lavretzky, rather sharply;--"we shall not
understand each other."

Liza turned pale; her whole body quivered slightly; but she did not hold
her peace.

"You ought to forgive,"--she said softly:--"if you wish to be forgiven."

"Forgive!"--Lavretzky caught her up:--"Ought not you first to know for
whom you are pleading? Forgive that woman, take her back into my
house,--her,--that empty, heartless creature! And who has told you, that
she wishes to return to me? Good heavens, she is entirely satisfied with
her position.... But what is the use of talking about it! Her name ought
not to be uttered by you. You are too pure, you are not even in a
position to understand what sort of a being she is."

"Why vilify her?"--said Liza, with an effort. The trembling of her hands
became visible. "It was you yourself who abandoned her, Feodor
Ivanitch."

"But I tell you,"--retorted Lavretzky, with an involuntary outburst of
impatience:--"that you do not know what sort of a creature she is!"

"Then why did you marry her?"--whispered Liza, and dropped her eyes.

Lavretzky sprang up hastily from his seat.

"Why did I marry? I was young and inexperienced then; I was deceived, I
was carried away by a beautiful exterior. I did not know women, I did not
know anything. God grant that you may make a happier marriage! But,
believe me, it is impossible to vouch for anything."

"And I may be just as unhappy,"--said Liza (her voice began to break):
"but, in that case, I must submit; I do not know how to talk, but if we
do not submit...."

Lavre