»No.«
»Supposing you had a bride awaiting you tomorrow with flowers and embraces and love, then would you give away your innocence, or not?«
»I don't know,« he said reflectively.
»This is what I mean. I should have said: Take my life, but leave me my honour. You would give away the cheaper of the two. But, no—you must give me the dearest thing of all, the thing without which you cannot live—that and nothing else!«
»But why should I give it away? Why?«
»Why? Only that it may not be shameful to you.«
»But, Liuba!« he exclaimed in bewilderment. »Listen! You yourself are....«
»Fine, you were going to say? I've heard that too from my author, more than once. But, my dear, that is not the truth. I'm just an ordinary girl, and you will stay and then you will know it.«
»I will not stay,« he cried aloud, between his teeth.
»Don't shriek, my dear. Shrieks avail nothing against the truth—I know that for myself.« And then in a whisper, looking straight in his eyes, she added: »For God, too, is fine!«