Преступление и наказание

           Thereisasonservingintheprovinces,buthedoesn’thelp;thereisadaughter,whoismarried,butshedoesn’tvisitthem.Andthey’vetwolittlenephewsontheirhands,asthoughtheirownchildrenwerenotenough,andthey’vetakenfromschooltheiryoungestdaughter,agirlwho’llbesixteeninanothermonth,sothatthenshecanbemarried.Shewasforme.Wewentthere.Howfunnyitwas!Ipresentmyself—alandowner,awidower,ofawell-knownname,withconnections,withafortune.WhatifIamfiftyandsheisnotsixteen?Whothinksofthat?Butit’sfascinating,isn’tit?Itisfascinating,ha-ha!YoushouldhaveseenhowItalkedtothepapaandmamma.Itwasworthpayingtohaveseenmeatthatmoment.Shecomesin,curtseys,youcanfancy,stillinashortfrock—anunopenedbud!Flushinglikeasunset—shehadbeentold,nodoubt.Idon’tknowhowyoufeelaboutfemalefaces,buttomymindthesesixteenyears,thesechildisheyes,shynessandtearsofbashfulnessarebetterthanbeauty;andsheisaperfectlittlepicture,too.Fairhairinlittlecurls,likealamb’s,fulllittlerosylips,tinyfeet,acharmer!...Well,wemadefriends.ItoldthemIwasinahurryowingtodomesticcircumstances,andthenextday,thatisthedaybeforeyesterday,wewerebetrothed.WhenIgonowItakeheronmykneeatonceandkeepherthere....Well,sheflusheslikeasunsetandIkisshereveryminute.Hermammaofcourseimpressesonherthatthisisherhusbandandthatthismustbeso.