There were three hundred roubles and I sent him three hundred roubles." Darya Pavlovna had almost completely regained her composure.

And it was difficult, I may mention, as a rule, to astonish the girl or ruffle her calm for long--whatever she might be feeling.

She brought out all her answers now without haste, replied immediately to every question with accuracy, quietly, smoothly, and without a trace of the sudden emotion she had shown at first, or the slightest embarrassment which might have suggested a consciousness of guilt.

Varvara Petrovna's eyes were fastened upon her all the time she was speaking.

Varvara Petrovna thought for a minute: "If," she pronounced at last firmly, evidently addressing all present, though she only looked at Dasha, "if Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch did not appeal even to me but asked you to do this for him, he must have had his reasons for doing so.