grieving in the claws of a
spider,--no, I thought, a thundercloud hangs over them also. What is to be
done, Fedya? but remember thy word, nevertheless.--Go."

Lavretzky emerged from the back entrance, and was already approaching
the gate ... when a lackey overtook him.

"Marya Dmitrievna ordered me to ask you to be so good as to come to
her,"--he announced to Lavretzky.

"Say to her, my good fellow, that I cannot at present ..." began Feodor
Ivanitch.

"She ordered me to entreat you urgently,"--went on the lackey:--"she
ordered me to say, that she is at home."

"But have the visitors gone?"--asked Lavretzky.

"Yes, sir,"--returned the lackey, and grinned.

Lavretzky shrugged his shoulders, and followed him.

XLIII

Marya Dmitrievna was sitting alone, in her boudoir, in a sofa-chair,
and sniffing eau de Cologne; a glass of orange-flower water was standing
beside her, on a small table. She was excited, and seemed to be timorous.

Lavretzky entered.

"You wished to see me,"--he said, saluting her coldly.

"Yes,"--returned Marya Dmitrievna, and drank a little of the water. "I
heard that you went straight up-stairs to aunty; I gave orders that you
should be requested to come to me: I must have a talk with you. Sit down,
if you please."--Marya Dmitrievna took breath.--"You know,"--she went
on:--"that your wife has arrived?"

"That fact is known to me,"--said Lavretzky.

"Well, yes,--that is, I meant to say, she came to me, and I received her;
that is what I wish to have an explanation about with you now, Feodor
Ivanitch. I, thank God, have won universal respect, I may say, and I
would not do anything improper for all the world. Although I foresaw that
it would be disagreeable to you, still, I could not make up my mind to
refuse her, Feodor Ivanitch; she is my relative--through you: put
yourself in my place--what right had I to turn her out of my house?--You
agree with me?"

"There is no necessity for your agitating yourself, Marya
Dmitrievna,"--returned Lavretzky: "you have behaved very well indeed; I
am not in the least angry. I have not the slightest intention of
depriving Varvara Pavlovna of the right to see her acquaintances; I
only refrained from entering your apartments to-day because I wished to
avoid meeting her,--that was all."

"Akh, how delighted I am to hear that from you, Feodor
Ivanitch,"--exclaimed Marya Dmitrievna:--"however, I always expected
thi