lk about
marrying just at this moment, but let's see the money at all events.
Come! I may not marry you, either. I don't know. I suppose you thought
you'd keep the money, if I did! Ha, ha, ha! nonsense! I have no sense of
shame left. I tell you I have been Totski's concubine. Prince, you
must marry Aglaya Ivanovna, not Nastasia Philipovna, or this fellow
Ferdishenko will always be pointing the finger of scorn at you. You
aren't afraid, I know; but I should always be afraid that I had ruined
you, and that you would reproach me for it. As for what you say about
my doing you honour by marrying you-well, Totski can tell you all about
that. You had your eye on Aglaya, Gania, you know you had; and you might
have married her if you had not come bargaining. You are all like
this. You should choose, once for all, between disreputable women, and
respectable ones, or you are sure to get mixed. Look at the general, how
he's staring at me!"

"This is too horrible," said the general, starting to his feet. All were
standing up now. Nastasia was absolutely beside herself.

"I am very proud, in spite of what I am," she continued. "You called me
'perfection' just now, prince. A nice sort of perfection to throw up a
prince and a million and a half of roubles in order to be able to boast
of the fact afterwards! What sort of a wife should I make for you, after
all I have said? Afanasy Ivanovitch, do you observe I have really and
truly thrown away a million of roubles? And you thought that I should
consider your wretched seventy-five thousand, with Gania thrown in for a
husband, a paradise of bliss! Take your seventy-five thousand back, sir;
you did not reach the hundred thousand. Rogojin cut a better dash than
you did. I'll console Gania myself; I have an idea about that. But now I
must be off! I've been in prison for ten years. I'm free at last! Well,
Rogojin, what are you waiting for? Let's get ready and go."

"Come along!" shouted Rogojin, beside himself with joy. "Hey! all of you
fellows! Wine! Round with it! Fill the glasses!"

"Get away!" he shouted frantically, observing that Daria Alexeyevna
was approaching to protest against Nastasia's conduct. "Get away, she's
mine, everything's mine! She's a queen, get away!"

He was panting with ecstasy. He walked round and round Nastasia
Philipovna and told everybody to "keep their distance."

All the Rogojin company were now collected in the drawing-room; some
were drinking, some laughed