Silence followed again. The lady walked about the room and wrung
her hands, while Pasha still gazed blankly at her in amazement, not
understanding and expecting something terrible.

"I know nothing about it, madam," she said, and suddenly burst into
tears.

"You are lying!" cried the lady, and her eyes flashed angrily at
her. "I know all about it! I've known you a long time. I know that
for the last month he has been spending every day with you!"

"Yes. What then? What of it? I have a great many visitors, but I
don't force anyone to come. He is free to do as he likes."

"I tell you they have discovered that money is missing! He has
embezzled money at the office! For the sake of such a . . . creature
as you, for your sake he has actually committed a crime. Listen,"
said the lady in a resolute voice, stopping short, facing Pasha.
"You can have no principles; you live simply to do harm--that's
your object; but one can't imagine you have fallen so low that you
have no trace of human feeling left! He has a wife, children. . . .
If he is condemned and sent into exile we shall starve, the
children and I. . . . Understand that! And yet there is a chance
of saving him and us from destitution and disgrace. If I take them
nine hundred roubles to-day they will let him alone. Only nine
hundred roubles!"

"What nine hundred roubles?" Pasha asked softly. "I . . . I don't
know. . . . I haven't taken it."