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gazed at me open…eyed； evidently expecting something from me at
once。 This naivete of expectation drove me to fury； but I
restrained myself。
She ought to have tried not to notice； as though everything had
been as usual； while instead of that； she。。。and I dimly felt that
I should make her pay dearly for _all this_。
〃You have found me in a strange position； Liza；〃 I began；
stammering and knowing that this was the wrong way to begin。
〃No； no； don't imagine anything；〃 I cried； seeing that she had
suddenly flushed。 〃I am not ashamed of my poverty。。。On the
contrary； I look with pride on my poverty。 I am poor but
honourable。。。。One can be poor and honourable；〃 I muttered。
〃However。。。would you like tea？。。。。〃
〃No；〃 she was beginning。
〃Wait a minute。〃
I leapt up and ran to Apollon。 I had to get out of the room
somehow。
〃Apollon；〃 I whispered in feverish haste； flinging down before
him the seven roubles which had remained all the time in my
clenched fist； 〃here are your wages； you see I give them to you；
but for that you must come to my rescue： bring me tea and a dozen
rusks from the restaurant。 If you won't go； you'll make me a
miserable man！ You don't know what this woman is。。。。This
iseverything！ You may be imagining something。。。。But you don't
know what that woman is！ 。。。〃
Apollon； who had already sat down to his work and put on his
spectacles again； at first glanced askance at the money without
speaking or putting down his needle； then； without paying the
slightest attention to me or making any answer； he went on
busying himself with his needle； which he had not yet threaded。
I waited before him for three minutes with my arms crossed a la
Napoleon。 My temples were moist with sweat。 I was pale； I felt
it。 But； thank God； he must have been moved to pity； looking at
me。 Having threaded his needle he deliberately got up from his
seat； deliberately moved back his chair； deliberately took off
his spectacles； deliberately counted the money； and finally
asking me over his shoulder： 〃Shall I get a whole portion？〃
deliberately walked out of the room。 As I was going back to
Liza； the thought occurred to me on the way： shouldn't I run away
just as I was in my dressing…gown； no matter where； and then let
happen what would？
I sat down again。 She looked at me uneasily。 For some minutes
we were silent。
〃I will kill him；〃 I shouted suddenly； striking the table with my
fist so that the ink spurted out of the inkstand。
〃What are you saying！〃 she cried； starting。
〃I will kill him！ kill him！〃 I shrieked； suddenly striking the
table in absolute frenzy； and at the same time fully
understanding how stupid it was to be in such a frenzy。 〃You
don't know； Liza； what that torturer is to me。 He is my
torturer。。。。He has gone now to fetch some rusks； he 。。。〃
And suddenly I burst into tears。 It was an hysterical attack。
How ashamed I felt in the midst of my sobs； but still I could not
restrain them。
She was frightened。
〃What is the matter？ What is wrong？〃 she cried； fussing about
me。
〃Water； give me water； over there！〃 I muttered in a faint voice；
though I was inwardly conscious that I could have got on very
well without water and without muttering in a faint voice。 But I
was； what is called； _putting it on_； to save appearances； though
the attack was a genuine one。
She gave me water； looking at me in bewilderment。 At that moment
Apollon brought in the tea。 It suddenly seemed to me that this
commonplace； prosaic tea was horribly undignified and paltry
after all that had happened； and I blushed crimson。 Liza looked
at Apollon with positive alarm。 He went out without a glance at
either of us。
〃Liza； do you despise me？〃 I asked； looking at her fixedly；
trembling with impatience to know what she was thinking。
She was confused； and did not know what to answer。
〃Drink your tea；〃 I said to her angrily。 I was angry with
myself； but； of course； it was she who would have to pay for it。
A horrible spite against her suddenly surged up in my heart； I
believe I could have killed her。 To revenge myself on her I
swore inwardly not to say a word to her all the time。 〃She is
the cause of it all；〃 I thought。
Our silence lasted for five minutes。 The tea stood on the table；
we did not touch it。 I had got to the point of purposely
refraining from beginning in order to embarrass her further； it
was awkward for her to begin alone。 Several times she glanced at
me with mournful perplexity。 I was obstinately silent。 I was；
of course； myself the chief sufferer； because I was fully
conscious of the disgusting meanness of my spiteful stupidity；
and yet at the same time I could not restrain myself。
〃I want to。。。get away。。。from there altogether；〃 she began； to
break the silence in some way； but； poor girl； that was just what
she ought not to have spoken about at such a stupid moment to a
man so stupid as I was。 My heart positively ached with pity for
her tactless and unnecessary straightforwardness。 But something
hideous at once stifled all compassion in me； it even provoked me
to greater venom。 I did not care what happened。 Another five
minutes passed。
〃Perhaps I am in your way；〃 she began timidly； hardly audibly；
and was getting up。
But as soon as I saw this first impulse of wounded dignity I
positively trembled with spite； and at once burst out。
〃Why have you come to me； tell me that； please？〃 I began； gasping
for breath and regardless of logical connection in my words。 I
longed to have it all out at once； at one burst； I did not even
trouble how to begin。 〃Why have you come？ Answer； answer；〃 I
cried； hardly knowing what I was doing。 〃I'll tell you； my good
girl； why you have come。 You've come because I talked
sentimental stuff to you then。 So now you are soft as butter and
longing for fine sentiments again。 So you may as well know that
I was laughing at you then。 And I am laughing at you now。 Why
are you shuddering？ Yes； I was laughing at you！ I had been
insulted just before； at dinner； by the fellows who came that
evening before me。 I came to you； meaning to thrash one of them；
an officer； but I didn't succeed； I didn't find him； I had to
avenge the insult on someone to get back my own again； you turned
up； I vented my spleen on you and laughed at you。 I had been
humiliated； so I wanted to humiliate； I had been treated like a
rag； so I wanted to show my power。。。。 hat's what it was； and you
imagined I had come there on purpose to save you。 Yes？ You
imagined that？ You imagined that？〃
I knew that she would perhaps be muddled and not take it all in
exactly； but I knew； too； that she would grasp the gist of it；
very well indeed。 And so； indeed； she did。 She turned white as
a handkerchief； tried to say something； and her lips worked
painfully； but she sank on a chair as though she had been fe