you?"

"I am well enough; but is it really possible?--"

He broke off abruptly, and could not add another word. This was his one
attempt to stop the mad child, and, after he had made it, he followed
her as though he had no will of his own. Confused as his thoughts were,
he was, nevertheless, capable of realizing the fact that if he did
not go with her, she would go alone, and so he must go with her at all
hazards. He guessed the strength of her determination; it was beyond him
to check it.

They walked silently, and said scarcely a word all the way. He only
noticed that she seemed to know the road very well; and once, when he
thought it better to go by a certain lane, and remarked to her that it
would be quieter and less public, she only said, "it's all the same,"
and went on.

When they were almost arrived at Daria Alexeyevna's house (it was a
large wooden structure of ancient date), a gorgeously-dressed lady and
a young girl came out of it. Both these ladies took their seats in a
carriage, which was waiting at the door, talking and laughing loudly
the while, and drove away without appearing to notice the approaching
couple.

No sooner had the carriage driven off than the door opened once more;
and Rogojin, who had apparently been awaiting them, let them in and
closed it after them.

"There is not another soul in the house now excepting our four selves,"
he said aloud, looking at the prince in a strange way.

Nastasia Philipovna was waiting for them in the first room they went
into. She was dressed very simply, in black.

She rose at their entrance, but did not smile or give her hand, even to
the prince. Her anxious eyes were fixed upon Aglaya. Both sat down, at
a little distance from one another--Aglaya on the sofa, in the corner
of the room, Nastasia by the window. The prince and Rogojin remained
standing, and were not invited to sit.

Muishkin glanced at Rogojin in perplexity, but the latter only smiled
disagreeably, and said nothing. The silence continued for some few
moments.

An ominous expression passed over Nastasia Philipovna's face, of a
sudden. It became obstinate-looking, hard, and full of hatred; but she
did not take her eyes off her visitors for a moment.

Aglaya was clearly confused, but not frightened. On entering she had
merely glanced momentarily at her rival, and then had sat still, with
her eyes on the ground, apparently in thought. Once or twice she
glanced casually round the room. A