Pagina 559 de 1294

He at once recollected that his mother and sister knew through

Luzhin's letter of "some young woman of notorious behaviour." He

had only just been protesting against Luzhin's calumny and

declaring that he had seen the girl last night for the first

time, and suddenly she had walked in. He remembered, too, that he

had not protested against the expression "of notorious

behaviour." All this passed vaguely and fleetingly through his

brain, but looking at her more intently, he saw that the

humiliated creature was so humiliated that he felt suddenly sorry

for her. When she made a movement to retreat in terror, it sent a

pang to his heart.

"I did not expect you," he said, hurriedly, with a look that made

her stop. "Please sit down. You come, no doubt, from Katerina

Ivanovna. Allow me--not there. Sit here...."