Peredonov returned home gloomy as usual. Varvara, pale from her sleepless night, grumbled:
"You might have told me yesterday that you weren't coming home."
Peredonov provoked her by saying maliciously that he had been on a trip with Marta. Varvara was silent. She held the Princess's letter in her hand. It was a forged letter, but still——.
She said to him at luncheon, with a meaning smile:
"While you were gadding about with Marfushka, I received an answer from the Princess."
"I didn't know you wrote to her." Peredonov's face lighted up with a gleam of dull expectation.
"Well, that's good! Didn't you yourself tell me to write?"
"Well, what did she say?" asked Peredonov with some agitation.
"Here's the letter—read it for yourself."
Varvara fumbled for a long time in her pockets and finally found the letter and gave it to Peredonov. He stopped eating and grabbed the letter eagerly. He read it and was overjoyed. Here at last was a clear and definite promise. At the moment no doubts entered his mind. He quickly finished his luncheon and went out to show the letter to his acquaintances and friends.