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‘Pani Agrafena, I came here to forget the past and forgive
it, to forget all that has happened till to-day-.’
‘Forgive? Came here to forgive me?’ Grushenka cut him
short, jumping up from her seat.
‘Just so, Pani, I’m not pusillanimous, I’m magnanimous.
But I was astounded when I saw your lovers. Pan Mitya of-
fered me three thousand, in the other room to depart. I spat
in the pan’s face.’
‘What? He offered you money for me?’ cried Grushen-
ka, hysterically. ‘Is it true, Mitya? How dare you? Am I for
sale?’
‘Panie, panie!’ yelled Mitya, ‘she’s pure and shining, and
I have never been her lover! That’s a lie..’
‘How dare you defend me to him?’ shrieked Grushenka.
‘It wasn’t virtue kept me pure, and it wasn’t that I was afraid
of Kuzma, but that I might hold up my head when I met
him, and tell him he’s a scoundrel. And he did actually re-
fuse the money?’
‘He took it! He took it!’ cried Mitya; ‘only he wanted to
get the whole three thousand at once, and I could only give
him seven hundred straight off.’
‘I see: he heard I had money, and came here to marry
me!’
‘Pani Agrippina!’ cried the little Pole. ‘I’m — a knight,
I’m — a nobleman, and not a lajdak. I came here to make
you my wife and I find you a different woman, perverse and
shameless.’
‘Oh, go back where you came from! I’ll tell them to turn
you out and you’ll be turned out,’ cried Grushenka, furi-

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