Chapter 14

           “Ihavenowit,NastasiaPhilipovna,”beganFerdishenko,“andthereforeItalktoomuch,perhaps.WereIaswitty,now,asMr.Totskiorthegeneral,Ishouldprobablyhavesatsilentalltheevening,astheyhave.Now,prince,whatdoyouthink?—aretherenotfarmorethievesthanhonestmeninthisworld?Don’tyouthinkwemaysaytheredoesnotexistasinglepersonsohonestthathehasneverstolenanythingwhateverinhislife?”

           “Whatasillyidea,”saidtheactress.“Ofcourseitisnotthecase.Ihaveneverstolenanything,forone.”

           “H’m!verywell,DariaAlexeyevna;youhavenotstolenanything—agreed.Buthowabouttheprince,now—lookhowheisblushing!”

           “Ithinkyouarepartiallyright,butyouexaggerate,”saidtheprince,whohadcertainlyblushedup,ofasudden,forsomereasonorother.

           “Ferdishenko—eithertellusyourstory,orbequiet,andmindyourownbusiness.Youexhaustallpatience,”cuttinglyandirritablyremarkedNastasiaPhilipovna.

           “Immediately,immediately!Asformystory,gentlemen,itistoostupidandabsurdtotellyou.

           “IassureyouIamnotathief,andyetIhavestolen;Icannotexplainwhy.ItwasatSemeonIvanovitchIshenka’scountryhouse,oneSunday.Hehadadinnerparty.Afterdinnerthemenstayedatthetableovertheirwine.Itstruckmetoaskthedaughterofthehousetoplaysomethingonthepiano;soIpassedthroughthecornerroomtojointheladies.