believe that his fortune was made.  Of course it was not, he never had luck with an invention again, but he was bursting with pride and happiness, set up house for himself in a little flat on the Vassily Ostrov—­and met Vera Michailovna.  I wish I could give some true idea of the change that came over him when he reached this part of his story.  When he had spoken of his childhood, his father, his first struggles to live, his life with his old patron, he had not attempted to hide the evil, the malice, the envy that there was in his soul.  He had even emphasised it, I might fancy, for my own especial benefit, so that I might see that he was not such a weak, romantic, sentimental creature as I had supposed—­although God knows I had never fancied him romantic.  Now when he spoke of his wife his whole body changed.  “She married me out of pity,” he told me.  “I hated her for that, and I loved her for that, and I hate and love her for it still.”

Here I interrupted him and told him that perhaps it was better that he should not confide in me the inner history of his marriage.

“Why not?” he asked me suspiciously.

“Because I’m only an acquaintance, you scarcely know me.  You may regret it afterwards when you’re in another mood.”

“Oh, you English!” he said contemptuously; “you’re always to be trusted.  As a nation you’re not, but as one man to another you’re not interested enough in human nature to give away secrets.”

“Well, tell me what you like,” I said.  “Only I make no promises about anything.”

“I don’t want you to,” he retorted; “I’m only telling you what every one knows.  Wasn’t I aware from the first moment that she married me out of pity, and didn’t they all know it, and laugh and tell her she was a fool.  She knew that she was a fool too, but she was very young, and thought it fine to sacrifice herself for an idea.  I was ill and I talked to her about my future.  She believed in it, she thought I could do wonderful things if only some one looked after me.  And at the same time despised me for wanting to be looked after....  And then I wasn’t so ugly as I am now.  She had some money of her own, and we took in lodgers, and I loved her, as I love her now, so that I could kiss her feet and then hate her because she was kind to me.  She only cares for her sister, Nina; and because I was jealous of the girl and hated to see Vera good to her I had her to live with us, just to torture myself and show that I was stronger than all of them if I liked....  And so I am, than her beastly uncle the doctor and all the rest of them—­let him do what he likes....”

It was the first time that he had mentioned Semyonov.

“He’s coming back,” I said.