Alexei wanted to put himself on an equality with her, but Liza looked at him and began to smile.
“That is a fib,” said she: “I am not such a fool as you may think. I see very well that you are the young master himself.”
“Why do you think so?”
“I think so for a great many reasons.”
“But——”
“As if it were not possible to distinguish the master from the servant! You are not dressed like a servant, you do not speak like one, and you address your dog in a different way to us.”
Liza began to please Alexei more and more. As he was not accustomed to standing upon ceremony with peasant girls, he wanted to embrace her; but Liza drew back from him, and suddenly assumed such a cold and severe look, that Alexei, although much amused, did not venture to renew the attempt.
“If you wish that we should remain good friends,” said she with dignity, “be good enough not to forget yourself.”
“Who taught you such wisdom?” asked Alexei, bursting into a laugh. “Can it be my friend Nastenka,[4] the chambermaid to your young mistress? See by what paths enlightenment becomes diffused!”
Liza felt that she had stepped out of her rôle, and she immediately recovered herself.