and for which I venture to trouble you, Sofya Semyonovna, to come here. In my opinion money cannot be, indeed it’s unsafe to put it into Katerina Ivanovna’s own hands. The dinner today is a proof of that. Though she has not, so to speak, a crust of bread for tomorrow and … well, boots or shoes, or anything; she has bought today Jamaica rum, and even, I believe, Madeira and … and coffee. I saw it as I passed through. Tomorrow it will all fall upon you again, they won’t have a crust of bread. It’s absurd, really, and so, to my thinking, a subscription ought to be raised so that the unhappy widow should not know of the money, but only you, for instance. Am I right?”
“I don’t know … this is only today, once in her life. … She was so anxious to do honour, to celebrate the memory. … And she is very sensible … but just as you think and I shall be very, very … they will all be … and God will reward … and the orphans …”