terribly pained and hurt on his account.
Do not laugh
if you laugh you are unworthy
of understanding what l say.
Surely you see that l am not laughing
''However, it's all the same to me; laugh or not''
When l 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.
l ought to tell you that l never
in my life met a man
anything like him for noble
simplicity of mind and
for boundless trustfulness
l guessed that anyone who liked
could deceive him
and that he would immediately forgive anyone
and it was for this that l grew to love him
You understand what l wish of you?
''Perhaps l do; but tell me yourself''
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?
l never told either him or
you that l loved him!
Never told either him or me?
How about your letters? Who asked
you to try to persuade me to marry him?
Why do you force yourself upon us in this way?
l confess l thought at first that you were anxious
to arouse an aversion for him in my heart by your meddling
and it was only afterwards that l guessed the truth
You imagined that you were doing an heroic action!
What do you know of my position,
that you dare to judge me?
l know this much, that you did not go out to
honest work,
but went away with a rich man, Rogojin
lf you had cared to be an honest woman,
you would have gone out as a laundress.
lt doesnt surprise that Totski was nearly driven
to suicide by such a fallen angel.
Aglaya, don't! This is unfair
There, look at her
And l imagined her an angel!
Did you come to me without your
governess, Aglaya lvanovna?
l just tell you why you came here today?
You came because you were afraid of me!
-Afraid of YOU?
-Yes, me, of course!
Of course you were afraid of me,
or you would not have decided to come.
Do you know why you are afraid of me
You wished to satisfy yourself with your
own eyes as to which he loves best, myself or you
because you are fearfully jealous.
He has told me already that he hates you
Perhaps, perhaps! l am not worthy of him.
But l think you are lying
He cannot hate me, and he cannot have said so.
l am ready to forgive you,
''in consideration of your position;
but l confess l thought better of you.''
l thought you were wiser,
and more beautiful, too
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!
Or would you like me to bid him?
COMMAND HlM, now, at once, to
throw you up, and remain mine for ever?
He will stay, and he will marry me too
, and you shall trot home all alone.
Shall l?
Shall l turn Rogojin off?
You thought l would marry him
for your benefit, did you?
l'll call out NOW, 'Rogojin, get out!'
And say to the prince, 'Do you
remember what you promised me?'
Heavens! what a fool l 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
l only ran away from you in order to set you free
and now l don't care to let you go again.
Why does she treat me so... so shamefully?
l am not a loose woman- ask Rogojin there!
Will you go again now that she has insulted me,
turn away from me and lead her away, arm-in-arm?
May you be accursed too
for you were the only one l trusted among them all!
Go away, Rogojin, l don't want you
There he is!
lf he does not approach me
at once and take ME
and throw you over, then have him
for your own--l give him up to you!
How can you?
she is so unhappy.
Oh, my God!
l will