her eyes, "I myself have often just such
sick headaches."

"Really!" rejoined Varvara Pavlovna.

Lisa went into her aunt's room, and sank powerless into a chair. Marfa
Timofyevna gazed long at her in silence, slowly she knelt down before
her--and began still in the same silence to kiss her hands alternately.
Lisa bent forward, crimsoning--and began to weep, but she did not make
Marfa Timofyevna get up, she did not take away her hands, she felt that
she had not the right to take them away, that she had not the right to
hinder the old lady from expressing her penitence, and her sympathy,
from begging forgiveness for what had passed the day before. And Marfa
Timofyevna could not kiss enough those poor, pale, powerless hands, and
silent tears flowed from her eyes and from Lisa's; while the cat Matross
purred in the wide arm-chair among the knitting wool, and the long
flame of the little lamp faintly stirred and flickered before the holy
picture. In the next room, behind the door, stood Nastasya Karpovna, and
she too was furtively wiping her eyes with her check pocket-handkerchief
rolled up in a ball.

Chapter XL

Meanwhile, down-stairs, preference was going on merrily in the
drawing-room; Marya Dmitrievna was winning, and was in high good-humour.
A servant came in and announced that Panshin was below.

Marya Dmitrievna dropped her cards and moved restlessly in her
arm-chair; Varvara Pavlovna looked at her with a half-smile, then
turned her eyes towards the door. Panshin made his appearance in a black
frock-coat buttoned up to the throat, and a high English collar. "It
was hard for me to obey; but you see I have come," this was what was
expressed by his unsmiling, freshly shaven countenance.

"Well, Woldemar," cried Marya Dmitrievna, "you used to come in
unannounced!"

Panshin only replied to Marya Dmitrievna by a single glance. He bowed
courteously to her, but did not kiss her hand. She presented him to
Varvara Pavlovna; he stepped back a pace, bowed to her with the same
courtesy, but with still greater elegance and respect, and took a seat
near the card-table. The game of preference was soon over. Panshin
inquired after Lisaveta Mihalovna, learnt that she was not quite well,
and expressed his regret. Then he began to talk to Varvara Pavlovna,
diplomatically weighing each word and giving it its full value,
and politely hearing her answers to the end. But the dignity of his
diplomatic tone did not impress Varvara