Page 900 of 2288

"I am very glad you have come," he said, sitting down beside her,

and obviously wishing to say something, he stuttered. Several

times he tried to begin to speak, but stopped. In spite of the

fact that, preparing herself for meeting him, she had schooled

herself to despise and reproach him, she did not know what to say

to him, and she felt sorry for him. And so the silence lasted for

some time. "Is Seryozha quite well?" he said, and not waiting for

an answer, he added: "I shan't be dining at home today, and I

have got to go out directly."

"I had thought of going to Moscow," she said.

"No, you did quite, quite right to come," he said, and was silent

again.

Seeing that he was powerless to begin the conversation, she began

herself.

"Alexey Alexandrovitch," she said, looking at him and not

dropping her eyes under his persistent gaze at her hair, "I'm a

guilty woman, I'm a bad woman, but I am the same as I was, as I

told you then, and I have come to tell you that I can change

nothing."