sniffing Eau-de-Cologne, with a little table by her side,
on which was a glass containing orange-flower water. She was evidently
excited, and seemed nervous about something.

Lavretsky came into the room.

"You wanted to see me," he said, bowing coldly.

"Yes," answered Maria Dmitrievna, and then she drank a little water.
"I heard that you had gone straight up-stairs to my aunt, so I told
the servants to ask you to come and see me. I want to have a talk with
you. Please sit down."

Maria Dmitrievna took breath. "You know that your wife has come," she
continued.

"I am aware of that fact," said Lavretsky.

"Well--yes--that is--I meant to say that she has been here, and I have
received her. That is what I wanted to have the explanation about with
you, Fedor Ivanovich, I have deserved, I may say, general respect,
thank God! and I wouldn't, for all the world, do any thing unbecoming.
But, although I saw beforehand that it would be disagreeable to you,
Fedor Ivanich, yet I couldn't make up my mind to refuse her. She is
a relation of mine--through you. Only put yourself into my position.
What right had I to shut my door in her face? Surely you must agree
with me."

"You are exciting yourself quite unnecessarily, Maria Dmitrievna,"
replied Lavretsky. "You have done what is perfectly right. I am not in
the least angry. I never intended to deprive my wife of the power of
seeing her acquaintances. I did not come to see you to-day simply
because I did not wish to meet her. That was all."

"Ah! how glad I am to hear you say that, Fedor Ivanich!" exclaimed
Maria Dmitrievna. "However, I always expected as much from your noble
feelings. But as to my being excited, there's no wonder in that. I am
a woman and a mother. And your wife--of course I cannot set myself up
as a judge between you and her, I told her so herself; but she is such
a charming person that no one can help being pleased with her."

Lavretsky smiled and twirled his hat in his hands.

"And there is something else that I wanted to say to you, Fedor
Ivanich," continued Maria Dmitrievna, drawing a little nearer to him.
"If you had only seen how modestly, how respectfully she behaved!
Really it was perfectly touching. And if you had only heard how she
spoke of you! 'I,' she said, 'am altogether guilty before him.' 'I,'
she said, 'was not able to appreciate him.' 'He,' she said, 'is an
angel, not a mere man,' I can assure you that's what she said--'an
angel.' Sh