directly. And if I
do marry you, I'll be a faithful wife to you--you need not doubt that.'
Then she thought a bit, and said, 'At all events, you are not a flunkey;
at first, I thought you were no better than a flunkey.' And she arranged
the wedding and fixed the day straight away on the spot.

"Then, in another week, she had run away again, and came here to
Lebedeff's; and when I found her here, she said to me, 'I'm not going to
renounce you altogether, but I wish to put off the wedding a bit longer
yet--just as long as I like--for I am still my own mistress; so you may
wait, if you like.' That's how the matter stands between us now. What do
you think of all this, Lef Nicolaievitch?"

"'What do you think of it yourself?" replied the prince, looking sadly
at Rogojin.

"As if I can think anything about it! I--" He was about to say more, but
stopped in despair.

The prince rose again, as if he would leave.

"At all events, I shall not interfere with you!" he murmured, as though
making answer to some secret thought of his own.

"I'll tell you what!" cried Rogojin, and his eyes flashed fire. "I can't
understand your yielding her to me like this; I don't understand it.
Have you given up loving her altogether? At first you suffered badly--I
know it--I saw it. Besides, why did you come post-haste after us? Out of
pity, eh? He, he, he!" His mouth curved in a mocking smile.

"Do you think I am deceiving you?" asked the prince.

"No! I trust you--but I can't understand. It seems to me that your pity
is greater than my love." A hungry longing to speak his mind out seemed
to flash in the man's eyes, combined with an intense anger.

"Your love is mingled with hatred, and therefore, when your love passes,
there will be the greater misery," said the prince. "I tell you this,
Parfen--"

"What! that I'll cut her throat, you mean?"

The prince shuddered.

"You'll hate her afterwards for all your present love, and for all the
torment you are suffering on her account now. What seems to me the most
extraordinary thing is, that she can again consent to marry you, after
all that has passed between you. When I heard the news yesterday, I
could hardly bring myself to believe it. Why, she has run twice
from you, from the very altar rails, as it were. She must have some
presentiment of evil. What can she want with you now? Your money?
Nonsense! Besides, I should think you must have made a fairly large hole
in your fortune already.