your　sister　be　insulted。　I　was　in　despair　myself；　but　what　could　I　do？
  And；　besides；　I　did　not　know　the　whole　truth　myself　then。　What　made　it
  all　so　difficult　was　that　Dounia　received　a　hundred　roubles　in　advance
  when　she　took　the　place　as　governess　in　their　family；　on　condition
  of　part　of　her　salary　being　deducted　every　month；　and　so　it　was
  impossible　to　throw　up　the　situation　without　repaying　the　debt。　This
  sum　（now　I　can　explain　it　all　to　you；　my　precious　Rodya）　she　took
  chiefly　in　order　to　send　you　sixty　roubles；　which　you　needed　so
  terribly　then　and　which　you　received　from　us　last　year。　We　deceived
  you　then；　writing　that　this　money　came　from　Dounia's　savings；　but　that
  was　not　so；　and　now　I　tell　you　all　about　it；　because；　thank　God；
  things　have　suddenly　changed　for　the　better；　and　that　you　may　know　how
  Dounia　loves　you　and　what　a　heart　she　has。　At　first　indeed　Mr。
  Svidrigailov　treated　her　very　rudely　and　used　to　make　disrespectful
  and　jeering　remarks　at　table。。。。　But　I　don't　want　to　go　into　all　those
  painful　details；　so　as　not　to　worry　you　for　nothing　when　it　is　now　all
  over。　In　short；　in　spite　of　the　kind　and　generous　behaviour　of　Marfa
  Petrovna；　Mr。　Svidrigailov's　wife；　and　all　the　rest　of　the
  household；　Dounia　had　a　very　hard　time；　especially　when　Mr。
  Svidrigailov；　relapsing　into　his　old　regimental　habits；　was　under
  the　influence　of　Bacchus。　And　how　do　you　think　it　was　all　explained
  later　on？　Would　you　believe　that　the　crazy　fellow　had　conceived　a
  passion　for　Dounia　from　the　beginning；　but　had　concealed　it　under　a
  show　of　rudeness　and　contempt。　Possibly　he　was　ashamed　and　horrified
  himself　at　his　own　flighty　hopes；　considering　his　years　and　his
  being　the　father　of　a　family；　and　that　made　him　angry　with　Dounia。　And
  possibly；　too；　he　hoped　by　his　rude　and　sneering　behaviour　to　hide　the
  truth　from　others。　But　at　last　he　lost　all　control　and　had　the　face　to
  make　Dounia　an　open　and　shameful　proposal；　promising　her　all　sorts
  of　inducements　and　offering；　besides；　to　throw　up　everything　and
  take　her　to　another　estate　of　his；　or　even　abroad。　You　can　imagine　all
  she　went　through！　To　leave　her　situation　at　once　was　impossible　not
  only　on　account　of　the　money　debt；　but　also　to　spare　the　feelings　of
  Marfa　Petrovna；　whose　suspicions　would　have　been　aroused；　and　then
  Dounia　would　have　been　the　cause　of　a　rupture　in　the　family。　And　it
  would　have　meant　a　terrible　scandal　for　Dounia　too；　that　would　have
  been　inevitable。　There　were　various　other　reasons　owing　to　which
  Dounia　could　not　hope　to　escape　from　that　awful　house　for　another
  six　weeks。　You　know　Dounia；　of　course；　you　know　how　clever　she　is
  and　what　a　strong　will　she　has。　Dounia　can　endure　a　great　deal　and
  even　in　the　most　difficult　cases　she　has　the　fortitude　to　maintain　her
  firmness。　She　did　not　even　write　to　me　about　everything　for　fear　of
  upsetting　me；　although　we　were　constantly　in　communication。　It　all
  ended　very　unexpectedly。　Marfa　Petrovna　accidentally　overheard　her
  husband　imploring　Dounia　in　the　garden；　and；　putting　quite　a　wrong
  interpretation　on　the　position；　threw　the　blame　upon　her；　believing
  her　to　be　the　cause　of　it　all。　An　awful　scene　took　place　between
  them　on　the　spot　in　the　garden；　Marfa　Petrovna　went　so　far　as　to
  strike　Dounia；　refused　to　hear　anything　and　was　shouting　at　her　for
  a　whole　hour　and　then　gave　orders　that　Dounia　should　be　packed　off
  at　once　to　me　in　a　plain　peasant's　cart；　into　which　they　flung　all　her
  things；　her　linen　and　her　clothes；　all　pell…mell；　without　folding　it
  up　and　packing　it。　And　a　heavy　shower　of　rain　came　on；　too；　and
  Dounia；　insulted　and　put　to　shame；　had　to　drive　with　a　peasant　in　an
  open　cart　all　the　seventeen　versts　into　town。　Only　think　now　what
  answer　could　I　have　sent　to　the　letter　I　received　from　you　two
  months　ago　and　what　could　I　have　written？　I　was　in　despair；　I　dared
  not　write　to　you　the　truth　because　you　would　have　been　very　unhappy；
  mortified　and　indignant；　and　yet　what　could　you　do？　You　could　only
  perhaps　ruin　yourself；　and；　besides；　Dounia　would　not　allow　it；　and
  fill　up　my　letter　with　trifles　when　my　heart　was　so　full　of　sorrow；
  I　could　not。　For　a　whole　month　the　town　was　full　of　gossip　about
  this　scandal；　and　it　came　to　such　a　pass　that　Dounia　and　I　dared　not
  even　go　to　church　on　account　of　the　contemptuous　looks；　whispers；
  and　even　remarks　made　aloud　about　us。　All　our　acquaintances　avoided
  us；　nobody　even　bowed　to　us　in　the　street；　and　I　learnt　that　some
  shopmen　and　clerks　were　intending　to　insult　us　in　a　shameful　way；
  smearing　the　gates　of　our　house　with　pitch；　so　that　the　landlord　began
  to　tell　us　we　must　leave。　All　this　was　set　going　by　Marfa　Petrovna　who
  managed　to　slander　Dounia　and　throw　dirt　at　her　in　every　family。　She
  knows　every　one　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　that　month　she　was
  continually　coming　into　the　town；　and　as　she　is　rather　talkative　and
  fond　of　gossiping　about　her　family　affairs　and　particularly　of
  complaining　to　all　and　each　of　her　husband…　which　is　not　at　all　right…
  so　in　a　short　time　she　had　spread　her　story　not　only　in　the　town；
  but　over　the　whole　surrounding　district。　It　made　me　ill；　but　Dounia
  bore　it　better　than　I　did；　and　if　only　you　could　have　seen　how　she
  endured　it　all　and　tried　to　comfort　me　and　cheer　me　up！　She　is　an
  angel！　But　by　God's　mercy；　our　sufferings　were　cut　short：　Mr。
  Svidrigailov　returned　to　his　senses　and　repented　and；　probably　feeling
  sorry　for　Dounia；　he　laid　before　Marfa　Petrovna　a　complete　and
  unmistakable　proof　of　Dounia's　innocence；　in　the　form　of　a　letter
  Dounia　had　been　forced　to　write　and　give　to　him；　before　Marfa　Petrovna
  came　upon　them　in　the　garden。　This　letter；　which　remained　in　Mr。
  Svidrigailov's　hands　after　her　departure；　she　had　written　to　refuse
  personal　explanations　and　secret　interviews；　for　which　he　was
  entreating　her。　In　that　letter　she　reproached　him　with　great　heat
  and　indignation　for　the　baseness　of　his　behaviour　in　regard　to　Marfa
  Petrovna；　reminding　him　that　he　was　the　father　and　head　of　a　family
  and　telling　him　how　infamous　it　was　of　him　to　torment　and　make　unhappy
  a　defenceless　girl；　unhappy　enough　already。　Indeed；　dear　Rodya；　the
  letter　was　so　nobly　and　touchingly　written　that　I　sobbed　when　I　read
  it　and　to　this　day　I　cannot　read　it　without　tears。　Moreover；　the
  evidence　of　the　servants；　too；　cleared　Dounia's　reputation；　they　had
  seen　and　known　a　great　deal　more　than　Mr。　Svidrigailov　had　himself
  supposed…　as　indeed　is　always　the　case　with　servants。　Marfa　Petrovna
  was　completely　taken　aback；　and　'again　crushed'　as　she　said　herself　to
  us；　but　she　was　completely　convinced　of　Dounia's　innocence。　The　very
  next　day；　being　Sunday；　she　went　straight　to　the　Cathedral；　knelt　down
  and　prayed　with　tears　to　Our　Lady　to　give　her　strength　to　bear　this
  new　trial　and　to　do　her　duty。　Then　she　came　straight　from　the
  Cathedral　to　us；　told　us　the　whole　story；　wept　bitterly　and；　fully
  penitent；　she　embraced　Dounia　and　besought　her　to　forgive　her。　The
  same　morning　without　any　delay；　she　went　round　to　all　the　houses　in
  the　town　and　everywhere；　shedding　tears；　she　asserted　in　the　most
  flattering　terms　Dounia's　innocence　and　the　nobility　of　her　feelings
  and　her　behavior。　What　was　more；　she　showed　and　read　to　every　one
  the　letter　in　Dounia's　own　handwriting　to　Mr。　Svidrigailov　and　even
  allowed　them　to　take　copies　of　it…　which　I　must　say　I　think　was
  superfluous。　In　this　way　she　was　busy　for　several　days　in　driving
  about　the　whole　town；　because　some　people　had　taken　offence　through
  precedence　having　been　given　to　others。　And　therefore　they　had　to　take
  turns；　so　that　in　every　house　she　was　expected　before　she　arrived；　and
  every　one　knew　that　on　such　and　such　a　day　Marfa　Petrovna　would　be
  reading　the　letter　in　such　and　such　a　place　and　people　assembled　for
  every　reading　of　it；　even　many　who　had　heard　it　several　times
  already　both　in　their　own　houses　and　in　other　people's。　In　my
  opinion　a　great　deal；　a　very　great　deal　of　all　this　was　unnecessary；
  but　that's　Marfa　Petrovna's　character。　Anyway　she　succeeded　in
  completely　re…establishing　Dounia'