She had not the courage to ask.
For a long time she walked restlessly in the thickly-falling snow round the building.
At last she felt that she must go in; and in a condition which made her blind to her surroundings, she at length stood patiently, white and covered with snow, at the gate of the prison.
When at length it opened, she wanted to go in.
"What do you want?"
"To hear about Nikolai."
"Nikolai? What Nikolai?"
"He who came in here last night."
"You don't mean him, the murderer? Are you his sister?"
"No."