MY BELOVED MAKAR ALEXIEVITCH,—For God’s sake borrow some money as soon as you can. I would not ask this help of you were it not for the situation in which I am placed. Thedora and myself cannot remain any longer in our present
lodgings1, for we have been subjected to great unpleasantness, and you cannot imagine my state of
agitation2 and dismay. The reason is that this morning we received a visit from an elderly—almost an old—man whose breast was studded with orders. Greatly surprised, I asked him what he wanted (for at the moment Thedora had gone out shopping); whereupon he began to question me as to my mode of life and occupation, and then, without waiting for an answer, informed me that he was uncle to the officer of whom you have spoken; that he was very angry with his nephew for the way in which the latter had behaved, especially with regard to his
slandering3 of me right and left; and that he, the uncle, was ready to protect me from the young spendthrift’s
insolence4. Also, he advised me to have nothing to say to young fellows of that stamp, and added that he sympathised with me as though he were my own father, and would gladly help me in any way he could. At this I blushed in some confusion, but did not greatly hasten to thank him. Next, he took me forcibly by the hand, and, tapping my cheek, said that I was very good-looking, and that he greatly liked the dimples in my face (God only knows what he meant!). Finally he tried to kiss me, on the plea that he was an old man, the
brute5! At this moment Thedora returned; whereupon, in some confusion, he repeated that he felt a great respect for my
modesty6 and
virtue7, and that he much wished to become acquainted with me; after which he took Thedora aside, and tried, on some
pretext8 or another, to give her money (though of course she declined it). At last he took himself off—again
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