anovna
disdainfully, getting up from her seat. She seemed sorry that in her
alarm she had called herself a fool. While Darya Pavlovna was speaking,
she listened, pressing her lips superciliously. But what struck me most
was the expression of Lizaveta Nikolaevna from the moment Darya Pavlovna
had come in. There was a gleam of hatred and hardly disguised contempt
in her eyes.

"Wait one minute, Praskovya Ivanovna, I beg you." Varvara Petrovna
detained her, still with the same exaggerated composure. "Kindly sit
down. I intend to speak out, and your legs are bad. That's right, thank
you. I lost my temper just now and uttered some impatient words. Be so
good as to forgive me. I behaved foolishly and I'm the first to regret
it, because I like fairness in everything. Losing your temper too,
of course, you spoke of certain anonymous letters. Every anonymous
communication is deserving of contempt, just because it's not signed. If
you think differently I'm sorry for you. In any case, if I were in your
place, I would not pry into such dirty corners, I would not soil my
hands with it. But you have soiled yours. However, since you have
begun on the subject yourself, I must tell you that six days ago I too
received a clownish anonymous letter. In it some rascal informs me that
Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch has gone out of his mind, and that I have reason
to fear some lame woman, who 'is destined to play a great part in
my life.' I remember the expression. Reflecting and being aware that
Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch has very numerous enemies, I promptly sent for a
man living here, one of his secret enemies, and the most vindictive and
contemptible of them, and from my conversation with him I gathered what
was the despicable source of the anonymous letter. If you too, my poor
Praskovya Ivanovna, have been worried by similar letters on my account,
and as you say 'bombarded' with them, I am, of course, the first to
regret having been the innocent cause of it. That's all I wanted to tell
you by way of explanation. I'm very sorry to see that you are so
tired and so upset. Besides, I have quite made up my mind to see that
suspicious personage of whom Mavriky Nikolaevitch said just now, a
little inappropriately, that it was impossible to receive him. Liza in
particular need have nothing to do with it. Come to me, Liza, my dear,
let me kiss you again."

Liza crossed the room and stood in silence before Varvara Petrovna. The
latter kissed her, took her