'Oh dear, what interesting things you tell me! I never could have imagined that Nozdryov was mixed up in this affair.'
'I always took it for granted.'
'Really, the things that do happen in the world, when you come to think of it; who could have supposed when Tchitchikov first came among us, do you remember, that he would make such a strange upset in the world. O Anna Grigoryevna, if only you knew how upset I feel! If it were not for your friendship and affection … I should really be on the brink of despair. What are we coming to! My Mashka saw I was as pale as death; "Mistress, darling!" said she, "you are as pale as death." "Mashka," I said, "I can't think of that now." What a thing to happen! So Nozdryov's in it! Well I declare!'
The agreeable lady was very eager to hear further details concerning the elopement, that is, at what o'clock it would take place and so on, but she wanted too much. The lady agreeable in all respects professed her entire ignorance of all this. She was incapable of lying: to assume the truth of a supposition was a different matter, but even then the supposition must be founded on her inner conviction; if she were conscious of an inner conviction she was quite capable of defending her position, and any lawyer renowned for his power of turning other people's opinions might have tried his powers on her and he would have seen what an inner conviction means.
That both ladies were in the end fully con-
