her to be on her guard. She's not the first, nor will she be the last.
Only,' he says, 'I beg you to behave as though there had never been
anything between you, and to make no sign, while I,' says he, 'will
do my best to please her in every way, so that she may come to love me
again.' He gave me his hand on it, drank a cup of tea, and went away
more cheerful.

"'Well,' thought I, 'thank God!' and I did feel glad that everything
had gone off so well. But no sooner had Vasya gone out of the yard, when
in came Mashenka. Ah! What I had to suffer! She hung on my neck, weeping
and praying: 'For God's sake, don't cast me off; I can't live without
you!'"

"The vile hussy!" sighed Dyudya.

"I swore at her, stamped my foot, and dragging her into the passage, I
fastened the door with the hook. 'Go to your husband,' I cried. 'Don't
shame me before folks. Fear God!' And every day there was a scene of
that sort.

"One morning I was standing in my yard near the stable cleaning a
bridle. All at once I saw her running through the little gate into my
yard, with bare feet, in her petticoat, and straight towards me; she
clutched at the bridle, getting all smeared with the pitch, and shaking
and weeping, she cried: 'I can't stand him; I loathe him; I can't bear
it! If you don't love me, better kill me!' I was angry, and I struck her
twice with the bridle, but at that instant Vasya ran in at the gate, and
in a despairing voice he shouted: 'Don't beat her! Don't beat her!' But
he ran up himself, and waving his arms, as though he were mad, he let
fly with his fists at her with all his might, then flung her on the