Pagina 557 di 1294

Dounia did not reply. Her resolution had been taken. She was only

awaiting the evening.

"Then what is your decision, Rodya?" asked Pulcheria

Alexandrovna, who was more uneasy than ever at the sudden, new

businesslike tone of his talk.

"What decision?"

"You see Pyotr Petrovitch writes that you are not to be with us

this evening, and that he will go away if you come. So will

you... come?"

"That, of course, is not for me to decide, but for you first, if

you are not offended by such a request; and secondly, by Dounia,

if she, too, is not offended. I will do what you think best," he

added, drily.

"Dounia has already decided, and I fully agree with her,"

Pulcheria Alexandrovna hastened to declare.

"I decided to ask you, Rodya, to urge you not to fail to be with

us at this interview," said Dounia. "Will you come?"

"Yes."

"I will ask you, too, to be with us at eight o'clock," she said,

addressing Razumihin. "Mother, I am inviting him, too."