“And you’re here, too, Shatushka!” she cried suddenly. “Only fancy, I saw you a long time ago, but I thought it couldn’t be you! How could you come here!” And she laughed gaily.

“You know this woman?” said Varvara Petrovna, turning to him at once.

“I know her,” muttered Shatov. He seemed about to move from his chair, but remained sitting.

“What do you know of her? Make haste, please!”

“Oh, well⁠ ⁠…” he stammered with an incongruous smile. “You see for yourself.⁠ ⁠…”

“What do I see? Come now, say something!”

“She lives in the same house as I do⁠ ⁠… with her brother⁠ ⁠… an officer.”

“Well?”

Shatov stammered again.