"'No' you say; but it does come! There—I fell into sin, and have been punished for it."
"How?" asked Ilya, darkly.
"Is anxiety nothing? I lived in fear and trembling. Any moment it might be found out, and I should——"
"Well. I fell into sin, and I'm not afraid at all," said Ilya, with an insolent laugh.
"Don't jest!" said Terenti warningly.
"It's a fact! I'm not afraid! Life is hard for me, but——"
"Aha!" cried Terenti, and stood up in triumph. "Hard, you say?"
"Yes! Every one keeps away from me as if I were a mangey dog."
"That's your punishment! D'you see?"
"But why?" screamed Ilya, almost in fury; his jaw quivered, and he tore at the wall behind his back with his fingers. Terenti looked at him in terror, and flourished in the air with a piece of string.