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And if you could make a good choice, at least, but I know it

won't be for your happiness or hers, you will only be a

laughing-stock to all good people.' Then she went out and her

train seemed to rustle. Isn't it nonsense, eh?"

"But perhaps you are telling lies?" Raskolnikov put in.

"I rarely lie," answered Svidrigailov thoughtfully, apparently

not noticing the rudeness of the question.

"And in the past, have you ever seen ghosts before?"

"Y-yes, I have seen them, but only once in my life, six years

ago. I had a serf, Filka; just after his burial I called out

forgetting 'Filka, my pipe!' He came in and went to the cupboard

where my pipes were. I sat still and thought 'he is doing it out

of revenge,' because we had a violent quarrel just before his

death. 'How dare you come in with a hole in your elbow?' I said.

'Go away, you scamp!' He turned and went out, and never came

again. I didn't tell Marfa Petrovna at the time. I wanted to have

a service sung for him, but I was ashamed."