"I beg your pardon, Sophia Ivanovna! And I beg leave also to tell you, that such calumnies have never been expressed to me before. He has perhaps been flirting with some one else, but not with me, certainly not with me, allow me to assure you of that."
"But, my dearest, why do you seem offended? you seem to forget that there were many other ladies besides ourselves, and even such ladies, who were the first to seize upon a chair near the door, for the purpose of sitting near him."
After such an exchange of opinions, and especially after the last remarks of the simply amiable lady, it seemed evident, that a storm would follow; however, to our utmost surprise, both ladies remained perfectly silent, and absolutely nothing followed as a consequence. The in every respect amiable lady seemed to remember, that the pattern of the new dress to be worn with festoons was not yet in her possession; and as for the simply amiable lady, she also seemed to recollect, that she had not yet obtained from her intimate friend any distinct comments upon the discovery about the stranger, which she had revealed to her, and for these excellent reasons and reflections peace soon again returned between them.
However, it is impossible to say that there was any natural disposition in the two ladies to create ill-feeling of any kind, and in general there was nothing in their character that could be really called maliciousness; nevertheless, and yet accidentally, slight differences would arise between them in the course of conversation, and inspire them with the innocent wish to pique one another slightly; it therefore did happen occasionally that the one or the other would profit by an opportunity, and gratify herself by launching an insinuation or observation against the other. The cravings of the human heart are as numerous as incomprehensible in the heart of man, as well as in the heart of a woman.
"However, I cannot understand it at all," said the simply amiable lady to her friend, "how Tchichikoff, being a stranger here and a traveller, could venture to enter upon such an expedition alone. It is impossible—I cannot believe it: he must have some accomplices."
"And did you really think he had none?"
"Whom do you suspect? Who could assist him?"
"And why should it not be Nosdrieff himself?"
"Now really, could it be Nosdrieff?"
"Why not? He is just the man for such an undertaking. Don't you know that he wanted to sell his own father, or, better still, gamble for him at cards?"