Perhaps you both guessed something, but that’s your affair. I didn’t tell you.
I kept it secret and was fearfully unhappy about it.”
“I remember, Alyosha, you were continually asking my advice and told me all about it, a bit at a time, of course, as though it were an imaginary case,” I added, looking at Natasha.
“You told us everything!
Don’t brag, please,” she chimed in.
“As though you could keep anything secret!
Deception is not your strong point.
Even Mavra knew all about it.
Didn’t you, Mavra?”
“How could I help it?” retorted Mavra, popping her head in at the door. “ You’d told us all about it before three days were over.
You couldn’t deceive a child.”
“Foo! How annoying it is to talk to you!
You’re doing all this for spite, Natasha!
And you’re mistaken too, Mavra.
I remember, I was like a madman then. Do you remember, Mavra?”
“To be sure I do, you’re like a madman now.”
“No, no, I don’t mean that.
Do you remember, we’d no money then and you went to pawn my silver cigarcase. And what’s more, Mavra, let me tell you you’re forgetting yourself and being horribly rude to me.
It’s Natasha has let you get into such ways.
Well, suppose I did tell you all about it at the time, bit by bit (I do remember it now), but you don’t know the tone of the letter, the tone of it. And the tone was what mattered most in the letter, let me tell you.
That’s what I’m talking about.”
“Why, what was the tone?” asked Natasha.
“Listen, Natasha, you keep asking questions as though you were in fun.
Don’t joke about it.
I assure you that it’s very important.
It was in such a tone that I was in despair.
My father had never spoken to me like that.
It was as though he would sooner expect an earthquake of Lisbon than that he should fail to get his own way; that was the tone of it.”
“Well. well, tell us. Why did you want to conceal it from me?”
“Ach, my goodness! Why, for fear of frightening you!
I hoped to arrange it all myself.
Well, after that letter, as soon as my father came my troubles began.
I prepared myself to answer him firmly, distinctly and earnestly, but somehow it never came off, He never asked me about it, he’s cunning!
On the contrary he behaved as though the whole thing were settled and as though any difference or misunderstanding between us were impossible.
Do you hear, impossible, such confidence!
And he was so affectionate, so sweet to me.
I was simply amazed.
How clever he is, Ivan Petrovitch, if only you knew!
He has read everything; he knows everything; you’ve only to look at him once and he knows all your thoughts as though they were his own.
That’s no doubt why he has been called a Jesuit.
Natasha doesn’t like me to praise him.
Don’t be cross, Natasha.
Well, so that’s how it is . . . oh, by the way!
At first he wouldn’t give me any money, but now he has. He gave me some yesterday.
Natasha, my angel!
Our poverty is over now!
Here, look!
All he took off my allowance these last six months, to punish me, he paid yesterday. See how much there is; I haven’t counted it yet.
Mavra, look what a lot of money; now we needn’t pawn our spoons and studs!”
He brought out of his pocket rather a thick bundle of notes, fifteen hundred roubles, and laid it on the table.