Stepan Trofimovitch grasped the position at last and introduced me.
"I know, I know," she said, "I'm delighted to meet you.
Mother has heard a great deal about you, too.
Let me introduce you to Mavriky Nikolaevitch too, he's a splendid person.
I had formed a funny notion of you already. You're Stepan Trofimovitch's confidant, aren't you?"
I turned rather red.
"Ach, forgive me, please. I used quite the wrong word: not funny at all, but only..." She was confused and blushed. "Why be ashamed though at your being a splendid person?
Well, it's time we were going, Mavriky Nikolaevitch!
Stepan Trofimovitch, you must be with us in half an hour.
Mercy, what a lot we shall talk!
Now I'm your confidante, and about everything, everything, you understand?"
Stepan Trofimovitch was alarmed at once.
"Oh, Mavriky Nikolaevitch knows everything, don't mind him!"
"What does he know?"
"Why, what do you mean?" she cried in astonishment.
"Bah, why it's true then that they're hiding it!
I wouldn't believe it!
And they're hiding Dasha, too.
Aunt wouldn't let me go in to see Dasha to-day. She says she's got a headache."
"But... but how did you find out?"
"My goodness, like every one else.
That needs no cunning!"
"But does every one else...?"
"Why, of course.
Mother, it's true, heard it first through Alyona Frolovna, my nurse; your Nastasya ran round to tell her.
You told Nastasya, didn't you?
She says you told her yourself."
"I... I did once speak," Stepan Trofimovitch faltered, crimsoning all over, "but... I only hinted... j'etais si nerveux et malade, et puis..."
She laughed.
"And your confidant didn't happen to be at hand, and Nastasya turned up. Well that was enough!
And the whole town's full of her cronies!
Come, it doesn't matter, let them know; it's all the better.
Make haste and come to us, we dine early.... Oh, I forgot," she added, sitting down again; "listen, what sort of person is Shatov?"
"Shatov?
He's the brother of Darya Pavlovna."
"I know he's her brother! What a person you are, really," she interrupted impatiently.
"I want to know what he's like; what sort of man he is."
"C'est un pense-creux d'ici.
C'est le meilleur et le plus irascible homme du monde."
"I've heard that he's rather queer.
But that wasn't what I meant.
I've heard that he knows three languages, one of them English, and can do literary work.
In that case I've a lot of work for him. I want someone to help me and the sooner the better.
Would he take the work or not?
He's been recommended to me...."
"Oh, most certainly he will. Et vous ferez un bienfait...."
"I'm not doing it as a bienfait. I need someone to help me."
"I know Shatov pretty well," I said, "and if you will trust me with a message to him I'll go to him this minute."
"Tell him to come to me at twelve o'clock to-morrow morning.
Capital!