ThankGod,hersufferingsareover,butIwilltellyoueverythinginorder,sothatyoumayknowjusthoweverythinghashappenedandallthatwehavehithertoconcealedfromyou。WhenyouwrotetometwomonthsagothatyouhadheardthatDouniahadagreatdealtoputupwithintheSvidrigrailovs\'house,whenyouwrotethatandaskedmetotellyouallaboutit-whatcouldIwriteinanswertoyou?IfIhadwrittenthewholetruthtoyou,Idaresayyouwouldhavethrownupeverythingandhavecometous,evenifyouhadtowalkalltheway,forIknowyourcharacterandyourfeelings,andyouwouldnotletyoursisterbeinsulted。Iwasindespairmyself,butwhatcouldIdo?
And,besides,Ididnotknowthewholetruthmyselfthen。WhatmadeitallsodifficultwasthatDouniareceivedahundredroublesinadvancewhenshetooktheplaceasgovernessintheirfamily,onconditionofpartofhersalarybeingdeductedeverymonth,andsoitwasimpossibletothrowupthesituationwithoutrepayingthedebt。ThissumnowIcanexplainitalltoyou,mypreciousRodyashetookchieflyinordertosendyousixtyroubles,whichyouneededsoterriblythenandwhichyoureceivedfromuslastyear。Wedeceivedyouthen,writingthatthismoneycamefromDounia\'ssavings,butthatwasnotso,andnowItellyouallaboutit,because,thankGod,thingshavesuddenlychangedforthebetter,andthatyoumayknowhowDounialovesyouandwhataheartshehas。AtfirstindeedMr。
Svidrigailovtreatedherveryrudelyandusedtomakedisrespectfulandjeeringremarksattable……ButIdon\'twanttogointoallthosepainfuldetails,soasnottoworryyoufornothingwhenitisnowallover。Inshort,inspiteofthekindandgenerousbehaviourofMarfaPetrovna,Mr。Svidrigailov\'swife,andalltherestofthehousehold,Douniahadaveryhardtime,especiallywhenMr。
Svidrigailov,relapsingintohisoldregimentalhabits,wasundertheinfluenceofBacchus。Andhowdoyouthinkitwasallexplainedlateron?WouldyoubelievethatthecrazyfellowhadconceivedapassionforDouniafromthebeginning,buthadconcealeditunderashowofrudenessandcontempt。Possiblyhewasashamedandhorrifiedhimselfathisownflightyhopes,consideringhisyearsandhisbeingthefatherofafamily;andthatmadehimangrywithDounia。Andpossibly,too,hehopedbyhisrudeandsneeringbehaviourtohidethetruthfromothers。ButatlasthelostallcontrolandhadthefacetomakeDouniaanopenandshamefulproposal,promisingherallsortsofinducementsandoffering,besides,tothrowupeverythingandtakehertoanotherestateofhis,orevenabroad。Youcanimagineallshewentthrough!Toleavehersituationatoncewasimpossiblenotonlyonaccountofthemoneydebt,butalsotosparethefeelingsofMarfaPetrovna,whosesuspicionswouldhavebeenaroused;andthenDouniawouldhavebeenthecauseofaruptureinthefamily。AnditwouldhavemeantaterriblescandalforDouniatoo;thatwouldhavebeeninevitable。TherewerevariousotherreasonsowingtowhichDouniacouldnothopetoescapefromthatawfulhouseforanothersixweeks。YouknowDounia,ofcourse;youknowhowcleversheisandwhatastrongwillshehas。Douniacanendureagreatdealandeveninthemostdifficultcasesshehasthefortitudetomaintainherfirmness。Shedidnotevenwritetomeabouteverythingforfearofupsettingme,althoughwewereconstantlyincommunication。Itallendedveryunexpectedly。MarfaPetrovnaaccidentallyoverheardherhusbandimploringDouniainthegarden,and,puttingquiteawronginterpretationontheposition,threwtheblameuponher,believinghertobethecauseofitall。Anawfulscenetookplacebetweenthemonthespotinthegarden;MarfaPetrovnawentsofarastostrikeDounia,refusedtohearanythingandwasshoutingatherforawholehourandthengaveordersthatDouniashouldbepackedoffatoncetomeinaplainpeasant\'scart,intowhichtheyflungallherthings,herlinenandherclothes,allpell-mell,withoutfoldingitupandpackingit。Andaheavyshowerofraincameon,too,andDounia,insultedandputtoshame,hadtodrivewithapeasantinanopencartalltheseventeenverstsintotown。OnlythinknowwhatanswercouldIhavesenttotheletterIreceivedfromyoutwomonthsagoandwhatcouldIhavewritten?Iwasindespair;Idarednotwritetoyouthetruthbecauseyouwouldhavebeenveryunhappy,mortifiedandindignant,andyetwhatcouldyoudo?Youcouldonlyperhapsruinyourself,and,besides,Douniawouldnotallowit;andfillupmyletterwithtrifleswhenmyheartwassofullofsorrow,Icouldnot。Forawholemonththetownwasfullofgossipaboutthisscandal,anditcametosuchapassthatDouniaandIdarednotevengotochurchonaccountofthecontemptuouslooks,whispers,andevenremarksmadealoudaboutus。Allouracquaintancesavoidedus,nobodyevenbowedtousinthestreet,andIlearntthatsomeshopmenandclerkswereintendingtoinsultusinashamefulway,smearingthegatesofourhousewithpitch,sothatthelandlordbegantotelluswemustleave。AllthiswassetgoingbyMarfaPetrovnawhomanagedtoslanderDouniaandthrowdirtatherineveryfamily。Sheknowseveryoneintheneighbourhood,andthatmonthshewascontinuallycomingintothetown,andassheisrathertalkativeandfondofgossipingaboutherfamilyaffairsandparticularlyofcomplainingtoallandeachofherhusband-whichisnotatallright-
soinashorttimeshehadspreadherstorynotonlyinthetown,butoverthewholesurroundingdistrict。Itmademeill,butDouniaboreitbetterthanIdid,andifonlyyoucouldhaveseenhowsheendureditallandtriedtocomfortmeandcheermeup!Sheisanangel!ButbyGod\'smercy,oursufferingswerecutshort：Mr。