"What does she mean? It's out of spite," he thought. "Everyone's my enemy."
And he made a Koukish after her.
"You'll get nothing out of me," he thought, consoling himself, but he was tormented by dread.
Her hints did not seem very satisfactory to Prepolovenskaya. But she did not want to tell him everything in plain words. Why should she quarrel with Varvara? From time to time she sent Peredonov anonymous letters in which the hints were clearer. But Peredonov misunderstood them.
Sofya once wrote him:
"You had better see whether that Princess, who wrote you the letter, doesn't live here."
Peredonov thought that perhaps the Princess had really come to the town to watch his movements.
"It's obvious," he thought, "that she's in love with me and wants to get me away from Varvara."
And these letters both frightened and angered him. He kept asking Varvara:
"Where is the Princess? I hear that she has come to the town."