Page 702 of 1294

"I only repeat what I was told in secret by Marfa Petrovna. I

must observe that from the legal point of view the case was far

from clear. There was, and I believe still is, living here a

woman called Resslich, a foreigner, who lent small sums of money

at interest, and did other commissions, and with this woman

Svidrigailov had for a long while close and mysterious relations.

She had a relation, a niece I believe, living with her, a deaf

and dumb girl of fifteen, or perhaps not more than fourteen.

Resslich hated this girl, and grudged her every crust; she used

to beat her mercilessly. One day the girl was found hanging in

the garret. At the inquest the verdict was suicide. After the

usual proceedings the matter ended, but, later on, information

was given that the child had been... cruelly outraged by

Svidrigailov.