took a couple of steps forward, stopped...

'Michel,' I whispered.

'Michel is locked up by my orders, and this is I!' answered a voice,
which seemed to rend my heart...

Before me stood Semyon Matveitch!

I was rushing to escape, but he clutched at my arm.

'Where are you off to, vile hussy?' he hissed. 'You 're quite equal to
stolen interviews with young fools, so you'll have to be equal to the
consequences.'

I was numb with horror, but still struggled towards the door... In vain!
Like iron hooks the ringers of Semyon Matveitch held me tight.

'Let me go, let me go,' I implored at last.

'I tell you you shan't stir!'

Semyon Matveitch forced me to sit down. In the half-darkness I could not
distinguish his face. I had turned away from him too, but I heard him
breathing hard and grinding his teeth. I felt neither fear nor despair,
but a sort of senseless amazement... A captured bird, I suppose, is numb
like that in the claws of the kite... and Semyon Matveitch's hand, which
still held me as fast, crushed me like some wild, ferocious claw....

'Aha!' he repeated; 'aha! So this is how it is... so it's come to