Chapter 23 Summary

Frank and Volodya walk away from the Security police. Frank, suspecting that Volodya has no money, buys pussy-willow branches and rolls (a Palm Sunday tradition) for Volodya. Volodya asks that they forgive each other. Frank says he is doing his best. He points out that to some extent his own well-being depends on Volodya's behavior. He says he doesn't think Volodya had intended to kill him the other night, but Volodya says that indeed he had, but that here had been something wrong with the pistol. Volodya goes on to say it is because Frank has taken Lisa Ivanovna into his house. He met Lisa at the public library and talked to her there on three occasions. Then, in a quick change, he says that he wasn't telling the truth before when he said that he intended to kill Frank; the truth was...