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I ran away in a fright, and, besides, the bell rang. I was

sitting to-day, feeling very heavy after a miserable dinner from

a cookshop; I was sitting smoking, all of a sudden Marfa Petrovna

again. She came in very smart in a new green silk dress with a

long train. 'Good day, Arkady Ivanovitch! How do you like my

dress? Aniska can't make like this.' (Aniska was a dressmaker in

the country, one of our former serf girls who had been trained in

Moscow, a pretty wench.) She stood turning round before me. I

looked at the dress, and then I looked carefully, very carefully,

at her face. 'I wonder you trouble to come to me about such

trifles, Marfa Petrovna.' 'Good gracious, you won't let one

disturb you about anything!' To tease her I said, 'I want to get

married, Marfa Petrovna.' 'That's just like you, Arkady

Ivanovitch; it does you very little credit to come looking for a

bride when you've hardly buried your wife.