betrothed.
Give me your arm and let us go; I will take you to the carriage, and if
you will let me I will see you all the way home."

She listened, and bent her head as though meditating.

"Let's go," she said with a sigh, giving him her hand.

But at that point a slight mischance befell her. She must have turned
carelessly, resting on her lame leg, which was shorter than the other.
She fell sideways into the chair, and if the chair had not been there
would have fallen on to the floor. He instantly seized and supported
her, and holding her arm firmly in his, led her carefully and
sympathetically to the door. She was evidently mortified at having
fallen; she was overwhelmed, blushed, and was terribly abashed. Looking
dumbly on the ground, limping painfully, she hobbled after him, almost
hanging on his arm. So they went out. Liza, I saw, suddenly jumped up
from her chair for some reason as they were going out, and she followed
them with intent eyes till they reached the door. Then she sat down
again in silence, but there was a nervous twitching in her face, as
though she had touched a viper.

While this scene was taking place between Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch and
Marya Timofyevna every one was speechless with amazement; one could have
heard a fly; but as soon as they had gone out, every one began suddenly
talking.

VI

It was very little of it talk, however; it was mostly exclamation. I've
forgotten a little the order in which things happened, for a scene of
confusion followed. Stepan Trofimovitch uttered some exclamation in
French, clasping his hands, but Varvara Petrovna had no thought for him.
Even Mavriky Nikolaevitch muttered some rapid, jerky comment. But Pyotr
Stepanovitch was the most excited of all. He was trying desperately with
bold gesticulations to persuade Varvara Petrovna of something, but it
was a long time before I could make out what it was. He appealed
to Praskovya Ivanovna, and Lizaveta Nikolaevna too, even, in his
excitement, addressed a passing shout to his father--in fact he seemed
all over the room at once. Varvara Petrovna, flushing all over, sprang
up from her seat and cried to Praskovya Ivanovna:

"Did you hear what he said to her here just now, did you hear it?"

But the latter was incapable of replying. She could only mutter
something and wave her hand. The poor woman had troubles of her own to
think about. She kept turning her head towards Liza and was watching her
with unaccountabl