e's lame. I heard it
yesterday," I said with hurried readiness, and also in a whisper.

"I must see her, absolutely. Could you arrange it to-day?"

I felt dreadfully sorry for her.

"That's utterly impossible, and, besides, I should not know at all how
to set about it," I began persuading her. "I'll go to Shatov...."

"If you don't arrange it by to-morrow I'll go to her by myself, alone,
for Mavriky Nikolaevitch has refused. I rest all my hopes on you and
I've no one else; I spoke stupidly to Shatov.... I'm sure that you are
perfectly honest and perhaps ready to do anything for me, only arrange
it."

I felt a passionate desire to help her in every way.

"This is what I'll do," I said, after a moment's thought. "I'll go
myself to-day and will see her for sure, for sure. I will manage so
as to see her. I give you my word of honour. Only let me confide in
Shatov."

"Tell him that I do desire it, and that I can't wait any longer, but
that I wasn't deceiving him just now. He went away perhaps because
he's very honest and he didn't like my seeming to deceive him. I
wasn't deceiving him, I really do want to edit books and found a
printing-press...."

"He is honest, very honest," I assented warmly.

"If it's not arranged by to-morrow, though, I shall go myself whatever
happens, and even if every one were to know."

"I can't be with you before three o'clock to-morrow," I observed, after
a moment's deliberation.

"At three o'clock then. Then it was true what I imagined yesterday at
Stepan Trofimovitch's, that you---are rather devoted to me?" she said
with a smile, hurriedly pressing my hand to say good-bye, and hurrying
back to the forsaken Mavriky Nikolaevitch.

I went out weighed down by my promise, and unable to understand what
had happened. I had seen a woman in real despair, not hesitating to
compromise herself by confiding in a man she hardly knew. Her womanly
smile at a moment so terrible for her and her hint that she had noticed
my feelings the day before sent a pang to my heart; but I felt sorry
for her, very sorry--that was all! Her secrets became at once something
sacred for me, and if anyone had begun to reveal them to me now, I think
I should have covered my ears, and should have refused to hear anything
more. I only had a presentiment of something... yet I was utterly at
a loss to see how I could do anything. What's more I did not even yet
understand exactly what I had to arrange; an interview, but wh