d just
before her chair, looking at the imbecile with a long fixed gaze.

"Sit down, Dasha," Varvara Petrovna brought out with terrifying
composure. "Nearer, that's right. You can see this woman, sitting down.
Do you know her?"

"I have never seen her," Dasha answered quietly, and after a pause she
added at once:

"She must be the invalid sister of Captain Lebyadkin."

"And it's the first time I've set eyes on you, my love, though I've been
interested and wanted to know you a long time, for I see how
well-bred you are in every movement you make," Marya Timofyevna cried
enthusiastically. "And though my footman swears at you, can such a
well-educated charming person as you really have stolen money from
him? For you are sweet, sweet, sweet, I tell you that from myself!" she
concluded, enthusiastically waving her hand.

"Can you make anything of it?" Varvara Petrovna asked with proud
dignity.

"I understand it...."

"Have you heard about the money?"

"No doubt it's the money that I undertook at Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch's
request to hand over to her brother, Captain Lebyadkin."

A silence followed.

"Did Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch himself ask you to do so?"

"He was very anxious to send that money, three hundred roubles, to Mr.
Lebyadkin. And as he didn't know his address, but only knew that he
was to be in our town, he charged me to give it to Mr. Lebyadkin if he
came."

"What is the money... lost? What was this woman speaking about just
now?"

"That I don't know. I've heard before that Mr. Lebyadkin says I didn't
give him all the money, but I don't understand his words. There were
three hundred roubles and I sent him three hundred roubles."

Darya Pavlovna had almost completely regained her composure. And it was
difficult, I may mention, as a rule, to astonish the girl or ruffle her
calm for long--whatever she might be feeling. She brought out all her
answers now without haste, replied immediately to every question with
accuracy, quietly, smoothly, and without a trace of the sudden emotion
she had shown at first, or the slightest embarrassment which might
have suggested a consciousness of guilt. Varvara Petrovna's eyes were
fastened upon her all the time she was speaking. Varvara Petrovna
thought for a minute:

"If," she pronounced at last firmly, evidently addressing all present,
though she only looked at Dasha, "if Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch did not
appeal even to me but asked you to do this for him, he mus