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 everyone 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's reputation and the whole ignominy of this affair rested as an indelible disgrace upon her husband, as the only person to blame, so that I really began to feel sorry for him; it was really treating the crazy fellow too harshly.

Dounia was at once asked to give lessons in several families, but she refused.