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298 to burn it up some time." When he had said this, Rakhmétof sat down. "And besides, there is a copy of the note left. Now, Viéra Pavlovna, I am going to express my judgment on this whole matter. I am going to begin with you. You are going away. Why?"

"Because it would be very hard for me to stay here. The sight of places which would remind me of the past would drive me crazy!"

"Yes, it is a very disagreeable feeling. But would it be any easier in another place? For very few it is easy! And meantime, what have you done? For the sake of getting some trifling comfort for yourself, you have left to the mercy of chance the fate of fifty people whose lives depend upon you. Is that good?"

What had become of the melancholy solemnity of Rakhmétof's tone? He spoke lively, easily, simply, enthusiastically.

"Yes; but I was going to ask Mertsálova."

Tis not the same thing. You don't know whether she would be capable of taking your place in the shop; for her ability in regard to this has never yet been tried. But here a grade of ability is demanded which it is very hard to find. There are ten chances to one that you will not find anybody to take your place, and that your withdrawal will affect the shop injuriously. Is that good? You are going to subject to certain, almost unavoidable, injury the interests of fifty people; and for what? For a slight comfort to yourself. Is that good? What a tender solicitude for a trifling alleviation of your pain, and what heartlessness for the fate of others! What do you think of this part of your action?"

"But why didn't you stop me?"

"You would not have listened. And then, I knew that you would soon come back. Consequently the matter would not amount to anything important. Do you plead guilty?"

"Absolutely," said Viéra Pavlovna, partly jesting, but partly, and for the most part, in serious earnest.

"Now, this is only one part of your fault. All around you still greater will be found. But since you confess, you shall be rewarded by help towards correcting the other fault, which it is possible still to correct. Are you calm now, Viéra Pavlovna?"

"Yes, almost."