"Who did it?" she asked curtly, throwing a shawl over her shoulders.
"The man's not sitting out there mourning over Isay. He knocked him down and fled!"
On the street Marya said:
"Now they'll begin to rummage about again and look for the murderer. It's a good thing your folks were at home last night. I can bear witness to that. I walked past here after midnight and glanced into the window, and saw all of you sitting around the table."
"What are you talking about, Marya? Why, who could dream of such a thing about them?" the mother ejaculated in fright.
"Well, who killed him? Some one from among your people, of course!" said Korsunova, regarding the idea as a matter to be taken for granted. "Everybody knows he spied on them."
The mother stopped to fetch breath, and put her hand to her bosom.
"What are you going on that way for? Don't be afraid! Whoever it is will reap the harvest of his own rashness. Let's go quick, or else they'll take him away!"
The mother walked on without asking herself why she went, and shaken by the thought of Vyesovshchikov.
"There—he's done it!" Her mind was held fast by the one idea.