Alyosha, of course, did not think of this; but though he was fascinated, yet he wondered with an unpleasant sensation, and as it were regretfully, why she drawled in that way and could not speak naturally.She did so, evidently feeling there was a charm in the exaggerated, honeyed modulation of the syllables.It was, of course, only a bad, underbred habit that showed bad education and a false idea of good manners.And yet this intonation and manner of speaking impressed Alyosha as almost incredibly incongruous with the childishly simple and happy expression of her face, the soft, babyish joy in her eyes.Katerina Ivanovna at once made her sit down in an arm-chair facing Alyosha, and ecstatically kissed her several times on her smiling lips.She seemed quite in love with her.
"This is the first time we've met, Alexey Fyodorovitch," she said rapturously."I wanted to know her, to see her.I wanted to go to her, but I'd no sooner expressed the wish than she came to me.Iknew we should settle everything together- everything.My heart told me so- I was begged not to take the step, but I foresaw it would be a way out of the difficulty, and I was not mistaken.Grushenka has explained everything to me, told me all she means to do.She flew here like an angel of goodness and brought us peace and joy.""You did not disdain me, sweet, excellent young lady," drawled Grushenka in her singsong voice, still with the same charming smile of delight.
"Don't dare to speak to me like that, you sorceress, you witch!
Disdain you! Here, I must kiss your lower lip once more.It looks as though it were swollen, and now it will be more so, and more and more.
Look how she laughs, Alexey Fyodorovitch!
Alyosha flushed, and faint, imperceptible shivers kept running down him.
"You make so much of me, dear young lady, and perhaps I am not at all worthy of your kindness.""Not worthy! She's not worthy of it!" Katerina Ivanovna cried again with the same warmth."You know, Alexey Fyodorovitch, we're fanciful, we're self-willed, but proudest of the proud in our little heart.We're noble, we're generous, Alexey Fyodorovitch, let me tell you.We have only been unfortunate.We were too ready to make every sacrifice for an unworthy, perhaps, or fickle man.There was one man- one, an officer too, we loved him, we sacrificed everything to him.That was long ago, five years ago, and he has forgotten us, he has married.Now he is a widower, he has written, he is coming here, and, do you know, we've loved him, none but him, all this time, and we've loved him all our life! He will come, and Grushenka will be happy again.For the last five years she's been wretched.But who can reproach her, who can boast of her favour? Only that bedridden old merchant, but he is more like her father, her friend, her protector.
He found her then in despair, in agony, deserted by the man she loved.
She was ready to drown herself then, but the old merchant saved her-saved her!"
"You defend me very kindly, dear young lady.You are in a great hurry about everything," Grushenka drawled again.
"Defend you! Is it for me to defend you? Should I dare to defend you? Grushenka, angel, give me your hand.Look at that charming soft little hand, Alexey Fyodorovitch! Look at it! It has brought me happiness and has lifted me up, and I'm going to kiss it, outside and inside, here, here, here!"And three times she kissed the certainly charming, though rather fat, hand of Grushenka in a sort of rapture.She held out her hand with a charming musical, nervous little laugh, watched the "sweet young lady," and obviously liked having her hand kissed.
"Perhaps there's rather too much rapture," thought Alyosha.He blushed.He felt a peculiar uneasiness at heart the whole time.
"You won't make me blush, dear young lady, kissing my hand like this before Alexey Fyodorovitch.""Do you think I meant to make you blush?" said Katerina Ivanovna, somewhat surprised."Ah my dear, how little you understand me!
"Yes, and you too perhaps quite misunderstand me, dear young lady.
Maybe I'm not so good as I seem to you.I've a bad heart; I will have my own way.I fascinated poor Dmitri Fyodorovitch that day simply for fun.""But now you'll save him.You've given me your word.You'll explain it all to him.You'll break to him that you have long loved another man, who is now offering you his hand.""Oh, no I didn't give you my word to do that.It was you kept talking about that.I didn't give you my word.""Then I didn't quite understand you," said Katerina Ivanovna slowly, turning a little pale."You promised-""Oh no, angel lady, I've promised nothing," Grushenka interrupted softly and evenly, still with the same gay and simple expression."You see at once, dear young lady, what a wilful wretch I am compared with you.If I want to do a thing I do it.I may have made you some promise just now.But now again I'm thinking: I may take Mitya again.I liked him very much once- liked him for almost a whole hour.Now maybe I shall go and tell him to stay with me from this day forward.You see, I'm so changeable.""Just now you said- something quite different," Katerina Ivanovna whispered faintly.
"Ah, just now! But, you know, I'm such a soft-hearted, silly creature.Only think what he's gone through on my account! What if when I go home I feel sorry for him? What then?""I never expected-"
"Ah, young lady, how good and generous you are compared with me!
Now perhaps you won't care for a silly creature like me, now you know my character.Give me your sweet little hand, angelic lady,"she said tenderly, and with a sort of reverence took Katerina Ivanovna's hand.