ted with agitation.

"You remember," she continued, "he wrote me a letter at that time;
he says you know all about that letter and that you even read it. I
understand all by means of this letter, and understand it correctly. He
has since confirmed it all to me--what I now say to you, word for word.
After receiving his letter I waited; I guessed that you would soon come
back here, because you could never do without Petersburg; you are still
too young and lovely for the provinces. However, this is not my own
idea," she added, blushing dreadfully; and from this moment the colour
never left her cheeks to the end of her speech. "When I next saw the
prince I began to feel terribly pained and hurt on his account. Do not
laugh; if you laugh you are unworthy of understanding what I say."

"Surely you see that I am not laughing," said Nastasia, sadly and
sternly.

"However, it's all the same to me; laugh or not, just as you please.
When I asked him about you, he told me that he had long since ceased to
love you, that the very recollection of you was a torture to him, but
that he was sorry for you; and that when he thought of you his heart was
pierced. I ought to tell you that I never in my life met a man anything
like him for noble simplicity of mind and for boundless trustfulness.
I guessed that anyone who liked could deceive him, and that he would
immediately forgive anyone who did deceive him; and it was for this that
I grew to love him--"

Aglaya paused for a moment, as though suddenly brought up in
astonishment that she could have said these words, but at the same time
a great pride shone in her eyes, like a defiant assertion that it would
not matter to her if "this woman" laughed in her face for the admission
just made.

"I have told you all now, and of course you understand what I wish of
you."

"Perhaps I do; but tell me yourself," said Nastasia Philipovna, quietly.

Aglaya flushed up angrily.

"I wished to find out from you," she said, firmly, "by what right you
dare to meddle with his feelings for me? By what right you dared send me
those letters? By what right do you continually remind both me and him
that you love him, after you yourself threw him over and ran away from
him in so insulting and shameful a way?"

"I never told either him or you that I loved him!" replied Nastasia
Philipovna, with an effort. "And--and I did run away from him--you are
right there," she added, scarcely audibly.

"Never told ei