one
would for the sick in hospitals."

"Ah, Alexey Fyodorovitch, dear, let us care for people as we would for the
sick!"

"Let us, Lise; I am ready. Though I am not altogether ready in myself. I
am sometimes very impatient and at other times I don't see things. It's
different with you."

"Ah, I don't believe it! Alexey Fyodorovitch, how happy I am!"

"I am so glad you say so, Lise."

"Alexey Fyodorovitch, you are wonderfully good, but you are sometimes sort
of formal.... And yet you are not a bit formal really. Go to the door,
open it gently, and see whether mamma is listening," said Lise, in a
nervous, hurried whisper.

Alyosha went, opened the door, and reported that no one was listening.

"Come here, Alexey Fyodorovitch," Lise went on, flushing redder and
redder. "Give me your hand--that's right. I have to make a great
confession, I didn't write to you yesterday in joke, but in earnest," and
she hid her eyes with her hand. It was evident that she was greatly
ashamed of the confession.

Suddenly she snatched his hand and impulsively kissed it three times.

"Ah, Lise, what a good thing!" cried Alyosha joyfully. "You know, I was
perfectly sure you were in earnest."

"Sure? Upon my word!" She put aside his hand, but did not leave go of it,
blushing hotly, and laughing a little happy laugh. "I kiss his hand and he
says, 'What a good thing!' "

But her reproach was undeserved. Alyosha, too, was greatly overcome.

"I should like to please you always, Lise, but I don't know how to do it,"
he muttered, blushing too.

"Alyosha, dear, you are cold and rude. Do you see? He has chosen me as his
wife and is quite settled about it. He is sure I was in earnest. What a
thing to say! Why, that's impertinence--that's what it is."

"Why, was it wrong of me to feel sure?" Alyosha asked, laughing suddenly.

"Ah, Alyosha, on the contrary, it was delightfully right," cried Lise,
looking tenderly and happily at him.

Alyosha stood still, holding her hand in his. Suddenly he stooped down and
kissed her on her lips.

"Oh, what are you doing?" cried Lise. Alyosha was terribly abashed.

"Oh, forgive me if I shouldn't.... Perhaps I'm awfully stupid.... You said
I was cold, so I kissed you.... But I see it was stupid."

Lise laughed, and hid her face in her hands. "And in that dress!" she
ejaculated in the midst of her mirth. But she suddenly ceased laughing and
became serious, almost stern.

"Alyosha, we must put off kis