Dunya was putting up with a lot of rudeness in the Svidrigailovs’ household, and asked me for a detailed explanation – what could I have written you in reply? If I'd given you the whole truth, you would probably have dropped everything and come to see us, on foot even, if you'd had to, because I know your temperament and feelings, and you would have stood up for your sister. I was in despair myself, but what could I do? At that time, not even I knew the whole truth. The main problem was that when Dunya entered their household last year in the capacity of governess, she was given no less than a hundred roubles in advance, but was told that a certain amount would be deducted from her salary each month, thus making it impossible for her to leave her post without having paid off her debt. This sum (now I can explain everything to you, my precious Rodya) she accepted principally in order to be able to send you the sixty roubles you needed so badly at the time and which you got from us last year. We deceived you then, wrote and told you that it was some of the money Dunya had managed to save from her previous job, but that wasn't true; I'm able to tell you the whole truth now because everything has suddenly, by God's will, changed for the better, and I do it also so you will know how much Dunya loves you and what a wonderful warm heart she has. Mr Svidrigailov was indeed rude to her and made various impolite suggestions and sneering remarks to her at table… But I don't want to enter into all those distressing details, for they would just upset you for nothing – I mean, it's all over now. To cut a long story short: in spite of the kind and decent treatment she received from Marfa Petrovna (Mr Svidrigailov's wife) and all the rest of the family, Dunya had a very hard time of it, particularly whenMr Svidrigailov, following an old regimental custom of his, happened to be under the influence of Bacchus. But what do you think turned out to be the case later on? Just imagine: that madcap had long had a hankering after Dunya, but had been concealing it beneath a facade of rudeness and contempt towards her. Perhaps he himself was ashamed, and kept falling into a state of horror when he viewed himself, now getting on in years and the father of a family, possessed by such frivolous hopes, and for that reason could not help acting towards Dunya in a hostile manner. It might also have been that his rude behaviour and sneering were an attempt to conceal the truth from others. In the end, however, he could not restrain himself and dared to make Dunya an open and base proposition, holding out various rewards to her and telling her into the bargain that he would give up everything and move with her to another estate or possibly even abroad. You can imagine the suffering she went through! To leave her post at once was impossible, not only because of the money she owed, but also because she wished to spare the feelings of Marfa Petrovna, who might have suddenly had suspicions, and she would consequently end up sowing dissension in the family. Why, it would have been a major scandal for Dunya, too; there would have been no getting out of it. In fact, there were all sorts of reasons why Dunya could on no account expect to be able to escape from that dreadful household. Of course, you know Dunya, you know how clever she is and what a firm character she has. Dunya can put up with all sorts of things, and even in the most extreme situations she's able to find enough generosity of spirit within herself so as not to lose her firmness. She even didn't put it all in her letters in order not to upset me, yet we frequently wrote to each other to exchange news. The dénouement was quite unexpected: Marfa Petrovna chanced to overhear her husband pleading with Dunya in the garden and, misinterpreting it all, accused her of the whole thing, supposing that she was the one who was the cause of it all. In the garden there immediately took place a dreadful
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