l,
too; I did, indeed! Well, take your treasure! See, he is gazing at you,
he can't recollect himself. Take him, but on one condition; go away at
once, this instant!"

She fell back into a chair, and burst into tears. But suddenly some new
expression blazed in her eyes. She stared fixedly at Aglaya, and rose
from her seat.

"Or would you like me to bid him, BID HIM, do you hear, COMMAND HIM,
now, at once, to throw you up, and remain mine for ever? Shall I? He
will stay, and he will marry me too, and you shall trot home all alone.
Shall I?--shall I say the word?" she screamed like a madwoman, scarcely
believing herself that she could really pronounce such wild words.

Aglaya had made for the door in terror, but she stopped at the
threshold, and listened. "Shall I turn Rogojin off? Ha! ha! you thought
I would marry him for your benefit, did you? Why, I'll call out NOW, if
you like, in your presence, 'Rogojin, get out!' and say to the prince,
'Do you remember what you promised me?' Heavens! what a fool I have been
to humiliate myself before them! Why, prince, you yourself gave me your
word that you would marry me whatever happened, and would never abandon
me. You said you loved me and would forgive me all, and--and resp--yes,
you even said that! I only ran away from you in order to set you free,
and now I don't care to let you go again. Why does she treat me so--so
shamefully? I am not a loose woman--ask Rogojin there! He'll tell you.
Will you go again now that she has insulted me, before your eyes, too;
turn away from me and lead her away, arm-in-arm? May you be accursed
too, for you were the only one I trusted among them all! Go away,
Rogojin, I don't want you," she continued, blind with fury, and forcing
the words out with dry lips and distorted features, evidently not
believing a single word of her own tirade, but, at the same time, doing
her utmost to prolong the moment of self-deception.

The outburst was so terribly violent that the prince thought it would
have killed her.

"There he is!" she shrieked again, pointing to the prince and addressing
Aglaya. "There he is! and if he does not approach me at once and take ME
and throw you over, then have him for your own--I give him up to you! I
don't want him!"

Both she and Aglaya stood and waited as though in expectation, and both
looked at the prince like madwomen.

But he, perhaps, did not understand the full force of this challenge; in
fact, it is certain he