"It was when we first danced together, that I thought about it."
"My dearest, I thought then that you were kind. You are giving me liberty, my dearest. Now I am ready to suffer, now I know that I am leaving the cellar; now it will not be so suffocating for me, now I know that I am already leaving it; but how shall I leave it, my dearest?"
"This is the way, Viérotchka. It is now the end of April. At the beginning of July my work at the medical school will be over. I must graduate, so that we can have the means to live, and then you shall leave your cellar. Endure it only three months, or even less; you shall get out. I shall have the position of surgeon. The salary is not over large; but no matter, I shall have some practice; as much as will be necessary, and we shall get along."
"Akh! my dearest, we shall need but very little. But I do not want it to be so; I do not want to live at your expense. You see I am earning something now by giving lessons; but I shall lose them then, for mámenka will tell everybody that I am an abomination. But I shall find other pupils. I shall begin to live. Now isn't that the right way? Don't you see that I mustn't live at your expense?"
"Who gave you that idea, my dearest friend, Viérotchka?"
"Akh! and now he is asking me who gave me that idea. Why, weren't you yourself always saying this very thing? And in your books—fully half of them say so!"
"In the books? Did I say so? When was it, Viérotchka?"
"Akh! when was it indeed! and who told me that money lay at the root of all things? Who told me that, Dmitri Sergéitch?"
"Well, what of that?"
"And you think that I am such a foolish young girl that I cannot draw a conclusion from premises, to use the words of your books?"
"Well, what conclusions? My dearest friend, Viérotchka, you are talking God-knows-what nonsense."
"Akh! smarty! he wants to be a despot; he wants me to become his slave! no indeed, this cannot be. Dmitri Sergéitch, do you understand?"
"Then you tell me, and I shall understand."
"Money lies at the root of all things, you say, Dmitri
