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It is true, this was not clearly established, the information was

given by another German woman of loose character whose word could

not be trusted; no statement was actually made to the police,

thanks to Marfa Petrovna's money and exertions; it did not get

beyond gossip. And yet the story is a very significant one. You

heard, no doubt, Avdotya Romanovna, when you were with them the

story of the servant Philip who died of ill treatment he received

six years ago, before the abolition of serfdom."

"I heard, on the contrary, that this Philip hanged himself."

"Quite so, but what drove him, or rather perhaps disposed him, to

suicide was the systematic persecution and severity of Mr.

Svidrigailov."