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430 to mention my name in your conversation with her, please don't tell her that I have made any inquiries about her, or that I want to make her acquaintance some time."

"That's very mysterious, Mr. Beaumont," said Katerina Vasílyevna in a serious tone. "You want to find out about them, and yet you yourself want to be concealed."

"Yes, Katerina Vasílyevna; how can I explain that to you? I am afraid to make their acquaintance."

"This is very strange, Mr. Beaumont."

"It is true. I will speak plainer; I am afraid that it would be disagreeable to her. They have never heard my name. But I might have had some intercourse with some of the people that are friends of theirs, or even with themselves; it is all the same. In a word, I must know first whether it would be agreeable to them to make my acquaintance."

"All this is strange, Mr. Beaumont."

"I am an honest man, Katerina Vasílyevna; let me assure you that I would never think of putting you into a false position; this is only the second time that I have ever seen you, but I have a great respect for you."

"I also see, Mr. Beaumont, that you are a man worthy of respect, but—"

"If you think that I am a man worthy of respect, you will allow me to call upon you, so that when you know me well enough, I can ask you again about the Kirsánofs. Or, rather, you will speak about them yourself when it will seem to you that you can fulfil my request which I shall make now, and which I shall not repeat. Do you agree?"

"All right, Mr. Beaumont," said Katerina Vasílyevna, slightly shrugging her shoulders. "But you must confess that—"

Again she did not want to finish her sentence.

"That my action seems rather suspicious? True; but I will wait till you get over your suspicions."

got into the way of making frequent calls at the Pólozofs'. "Why not?" thought the old man. "He is an excellent match. Of course in other days Kátya could have had a better husband. But even then she did not care for money or for flattery. And now nothing better could be desired."