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- 448 CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
he's said to be a sensible fellow; his surname suggests it, indeed.
He's probably a divinity student. Well, he'd better look after
your sister! I believe I understand her, and I am proud of it.
But at the beginning of an acquaintance, as you know, one is apt
to be more heedless and stupid. One doesn't see clearly. Hang
it all, why is she so handsome? It's not my fault. In fact, it began
on my side with a most irresistible physical desire. Avdotya
Romanovna is awfully chaste, incredibly and phenomenally so.
Take note, I tell you this about your sister as a fact. She is
almost morbidly chaste, in spite of her broad intelligence, and it
will stand in her way. There happened to be a girl in the house
then, Parasha, a black-eyed wench, whom I had never seen be-
fore— she had just come from another village — very pretty, but
incredibly stupid: she burst into tears, wailed so that she could
be heard all over the place and caused scandal. One day after
dinner Avdotya Romanovna followed me into an avenue in the
garden and with flashing eyes insisted on my leaving poor
Parasha alone. It was almost our first conversation by ourselves.
I, of course, was only too pleased to obey her wishes, tried to
appear disconcerted, embarrassed, in fact played my part not
badly. Then came interviews, mysterious conversations, exhor-
tations, entreaties, supplications, even tears — would you believe
it, even tears? Think what the passion for propaganda will bring
some girls to! I, of course, threw it all on my destiny, posed
as hungering and thirsting for light, and finally resorted to the
most powerful weapon in the subjection of the female heart, a
weapon which never fails one. It's the well-known resource —
flattery. Nothing in the world is harder than speaking the truth
and nothing easier than flattery. If there's the hundredth part
of a false note in speaking the truth, it leads to a discord, and
that leads to trouble. But if all, to the last note, is false in flat-
tery, itis just as agreeable, and is heard not without satisfaction.
It may be a coarse satisfaction, but still a satisfaction. And
however coarse the flattery, at least half will be sure to seem
true. That's so for ?11 stages of development and classes of so-
ciety, Avestal virgin might be seduced by flattery. I can never
remember without laughter how I once seduced a lady who was
devoted to her husband, her children, and her principles. What
fun it was and how Httle trouble! And the lady really had
principles, of her owu, anvway. All my tactics lay in simply
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