"Yes, you're always so clever; you turn me inside out. I wish now I hadn't told you--I wish you didn't know; I should have kept it to myself till I died. Now you just think I'm thoroughly dishonest."
"On the contrary."
"Really? Don't you think that?"
"Quite the contrary. What you've told me is absolutely right, entirely true and right. And not only that--it's fine."
"God bless you," she said, and began to sob again.
"There now, you mustn't cry. Here comes Nikolai walking up the road as good and placid as ever."
"Is he? Oh, thank God. You know, I haven't really any fault to find with him; I was too hasty when I said that. Even if I tried to find something, I couldn't. Of course he uses expressions sometimes--I mean he says some words differently, but it was only his sister that put that into my head. I must go out and meet him now."
She began to look around for something to slip over her shoulders, but it took her a few minutes because she was still quite shaken. Before she had found anything, Nikolai trudged into the yard.
"Oh, there you are! You haven't done anything rash, have you?"
Nikolai's features were still a little drawn as he replied: