“Oh, shameless, ungrateful man!” she wailed suddenly, clasping her hands. “As though you had not disgraced me enough, you’ve taken up with⁠ ⁠… oh, you shameless old reprobate!”

“ Chère⁠ ⁠… ” His voice failed him and he could not articulate a syllable but simply gazed with eyes wide with horror.

“Who is she?”

“ C’est un ange; c’était plus qu’un ange pour moi. She’s been all night⁠ ⁠… Oh, don’t shout, don’t frighten her, chère, chère ⁠ ⁠…”

With a loud noise, Varvara Petrovna pushed back her chair, uttering a loud cry of alarm.

“Water, water!”