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418 slightingly about them. The conversation turned upon family life, and she tried in vain to banish from her mind the impression that possibly it might be cold and hard for a wife to live with such a husband.

A crisis occurred. Katerina Vasílyevna could not go to sleep for a long while; her face was bathed in tears from being vexed at herself for insulting Sólovtsof with such thoughts about him. "No, he is not a cold man; he does not despise women; he loves me and not my money." If these objections had been given as an answer to the words of somebody else, they would have firmly clung to her memory. But she objected to her own self, and it is impossible long to resist the truth which you yourself have discovered. It is your own; you cannot suspect any trickery. The next evening she examined Sólovtsof just as Kirsánof had done the evening before. She said to herself that she only wanted to be convinced that she insulted him without reason; but she herself felt that a distrust of him had sprung up in her. And again she could not sleep, but she was vexed at him. Why didn't he speak so as to allay her doubts instead of corroborating them? She was vexed at herself, but in her vexation clearly appeared the motive. "How could I be so blind!"

Naturally, in a day or two, she began to be exclusively absorbed by the fear arising from the thought, "I shall soon lose the possibility of correcting my mistake, if I have been mistaken in him."

When Kirsánof came the next time, he saw that he could speak with her.

"You asked my opinion about him," said he; "it is not so important as your own. What do you think of him?"

Now she had nothing to reply.

"I have no right to be inquisitive," said he; talked about something else, and soon left her to herself.

But in half an hour she herself came to him.

"Give me some counsel; you see my thoughts are disturbed."

"Why do you want the advice of a stranger when you yourself know what ought to be done when your thoughts are disturbed."

"Wait till they cease to be disturbed at all?"

"Do according to your best knowledge."

"I shall postpone the wedding."