“ What did she guess?”
“ That I only pitied her—and—and loved her no longer!”
“ How do you know that? How do you know that she is not really in love with that—that rich cad—the man she eloped with?”
“ Oh no! I know she only laughs at him; she has made a fool of him all along.”
“ Has she never laughed at you?”
“ No—in anger, perhaps. Oh yes! she reproached me dreadfully in anger; and suffered herself, too! But afterwards—oh! don’t remind me—don’t remind me of that!”
He hid his face in his hands.
“ Are you aware that she writes to me almost every day?”
“ So that is true, is it?” cried the prince, greatly agitated. “I had heard a report of it, but would not believe it.”
“ Whom did you hear it from?” asked Aglaya, alarmed. “Rogojin said something about it yesterday, bu
