far　as　Lubotshka　and　Katenka　were　concerned）；　failed　to　shake　the
  benevolent　frame　of　mind　into　which　I　had　fallen。　I　was　unusually
  good…humoured　that　day；　and　listened　to　everything　with　a　smile
  and　a　studied　air　of　kindness。　Even　when　I　asked　for　the　kvas　I
  did　so　politely；　while　I　lost　not　a　moment　in　agreeing　with　St。
  Jerome　when　he　told　me　that　it　was　undoubtedly　more　correct　to
  say　〃Je　peux〃　than　〃Je　puis。〃　Yet；　I　must　confess　to　a　certain
  disappointment　at　finding　that　no　one　paid　any　particular
  attention　to　my　politeness　and　good…humour。　After　luncheon；
  Lubotshka　showed　me　a　paper　on　which　she　had　written　down　a　list
  of　her　sins：　upon　which　I　observed　that；　although　the　idea　was
  excellent　so　far　as　it　went；　it　would　be　still　better　for　her　to
  write　down　her　sins　on　her　SOUL〃a　very　different　matter。〃
  〃Why　is　it　'a　very　different　matter'？〃　asked　Lubotshka。
  〃Never　mind：　that　is　all　right；　you　do　not　understand　me；〃　and　I
  went　upstairs　to　my　room；　telling　St。　Jerome　that　I　was　going　to
  work；　but　in　reality　purposing　to　occupy　the　hour　and　a　half
  before　confession　time　in　writing　down　a　list　of　my　daily　tasks
  and　duties　which　should　last　me　all　my　life；　together　with　a
  statement　of　my　life's　aim；　and　the　rules　by　which　I　meant
  unswervingly　to　be　guided。
  v
  MY　RULES
  I　TOOK　some　sheets　of　paper；　and　tried；　first　of　all；　to　make　a
  list　of　my　tasks　and　duties　for　the　coming　year。　The　paper　needed
  ruling；　but；　as　I　could　not　find　the　ruler；　I　had　to　use　a　Latin
  dictionary　instead。　The　result　was　that；　when　I　had　drawn　the　pen
  along　the　edge　of　the　dictionary　and　removed　the　latter；　I　found
  that；　in　place　of　a　line；　I　had　only　made　an　oblong　smudge　on　the
  paper；　since　the；　dictionary　was　not　long　enough　to　reach　across
  it；　and　the　pen　had　slipped　round　the　soft；　yielding　corner　of
  the　book。　Thereupon　I　took　another　piece　of　paper；　and；　by
  carefully　manipulating　the　dictionary；　contrived　to　rule　what　at
  least　RESEMBLED　lines。　Dividing　my　duties　into　three　sections
  my　duties　to　myself；　my　duties　to　my　neighbour；　and　my　duties　to
  GodI　started　to　indite　a　list　of　the　first　of　those　sections；
  but　they　seemed　to　me　so　numerous；　and　therefore　requiring　to　be
  divided　into　so　many　species　and　subdivisions；　that　I　thought　I
  had　better　first　of　all　write　down　the　heading　of　〃Rules　of　My
  Life〃　before　proceeding　to　their　detailed　inscription。
  Accordingly；　I　proceeded　to　write　〃Rules　of　My　Life〃　on　the
  outside　of　the　six　sheets　of　paper　which　I　had　made　into　a　sort
  of　folio；　but　the　words　came　out　in　such　a　crooked　and　uneven
  scrawl　that　for　long　I　sat　debating　the　question；　〃Shall　I　write
  them　again？〃for　long；　sat　in　agonised　contemplation　of　the
  ragged　handwriting　and　disfigured　title…page。　Why　was　it　that　all
  the　beauty　and　clarity　which　my　soul　then　contained　came　out　so
  misshapenly　on　paper　（as　in　life　itself）　just　when　I　was　wishing
  to　apply　those　qualities　to　what　I　was　thinking　at　the　moment？
  〃The　priest　is　here；　so　please　come　downstairs　and　hear　his
  directions；〃　said　Nicola　as　he　entered；
  Hurriedly　concealing　my　folio　under　the　table…cloth；　I　looked　at
  myself　in　the　mirror；　combed　my　hair　upwards　（I　imagined　this　to
  give　me　a　pensive　air）；　and　descended　to　the　divannaia；　＇Room
  with　divans；　or　ante…room＇　where　the　table　stood　covered　with　a
  cloth　and　had　an　ikon　and　candles　placed　upon　it。　Papa　entered
  just　as　I　did；　but　by　another　door：　whereupon　the　priesta　grey…
  headed　old　monk　with　a　severe；　elderly　faceblessed　him；　and
  Papa　kissed　his　small；　squat；　wizened　hand。　I　did　the　same。
  〃Go　and　call　Woldemar；〃　said　Papa。　〃Where　is　he？　Wait　a　minute；
  though。　Perhaps　he　is　preparing　for　the　Communion　at　the
  University？〃
  〃No；　he　is　with　the　Prince；〃　said　Katenka；　and　glanced　at
  Lubotshka。　Suddenly　the　latter　blushed　for　some　reason　or
  another；　and　then　frowned。　Finally；　pretending　that　she　was　not
  well；　she　left　the　room；　and　I　followed　her。　In　the　drawing…room
  she　halted；　and　began　to　pencil　something　fresh　on　her　paper　of
  peccadilloes。
  〃Well；　what　new　sin　have　you　gone　and　committed？〃　I　asked。
  〃Nothing；〃　she　replied　with　another　blush。　All　at　once　we　heard
  Dimitri's　voice　raised　in　the　hall　as　he　took　his　leave　of
  Woloda。
  〃It　seems　to　me　you　are　always　experiencing　some　new　temptation；〃
  said　Katenka；　who　had　entered　the　room　behind　us；　and　now　stood
  looking　at　Lubotshka。
  What　was　the　matter　with　my　sister　I　could　not　conceive；　but　she
  was　now　so　agitated　that　the　tears　were　starting　from　her　eyes。
  Finally　her　confusion　grew　uncontrollable；　and　vented　itself　in
  rage　against　both　herself　and　Katenka；　who　appeared　to　be　teasing
  her。
  〃Any　one　can　see　that　you　are　a　FOREIGNER！〃　she　cried　（nothing
  offended　Katenka　so　much　as　to　be　called　by　that　term；　which　is
  why　Lubotshka　used　it）。　〃Just　because　I　have　the　secret　of　which
  you　know；〃　she　went　on；　with　anger　ringing　through　her　tone；　〃you
  purposely　go　and　upset　me！　Please　do　understand　that　it　is　no
  joking　matter。〃
  〃Do　you　know　what　she　has　gone　and　written　on　her　paper；
  Nicolinka？　cried　Katenka；　much　infuriated　by　the　term
  〃foreigner。〃　〃She　has　written　down　that〃
  〃Oh；　I　never　could　have　believed　that　you　could　be　so　cruel！〃
  exclaimed　Lubotshka；　now　bursting　into　open　sobbing　as　she　moved
  away　from　us。　〃You　chose　that　moment　on　purpose！　You　spend　your
  whole　time　in　trying　to　make　me　sin！　I'll　never　go　to　YOU　again
  for　sympathy　and　advice！〃
  VI
  CONFESSION
  With　these　and　other　disjointed　impressions　in　my　mind；　I　returned
  to　the　divannaia。　As　soon　as　every　one　had　reassembled；　the
  priest　rose　and　prepared　to　read　the　prayer　before　confession。
  The　instant　that　the　silence　was　broken　by　the　stern；　expressive
  voice　of　the　monk　as　he　recited　the　prayerand　more　especially
  when　he　addressed　to　us　the　words：　〃Reveal　thou　all　thy　sins
  without　shame；　concealment；　or　extenuation；　and　let　thy　soul　be
  cleansed　before　God：　for　if　thou　concealest　aught；　then　great
  will　be　thy　sin〃the　same　sensation　of　reverent　awe　came　over　me
  as　I　had　felt　during　the　morning。　I　even　took　a　certain　pleasure
  in　recognising　this　condition　of　mine；　and　strove　to　preserve　it；
  not　only　by　restraining　all　other　thoughts　from　entering　my
  brain；　but　also　by　consciously　exerting　myself　to　feel　no　other
  sensation　than　this　same　one　of　reverence。
  Papa　was　the　first　to　go　to　confession。　He　remained　a　long；　long
  time　in　the　room　which　had　belonged　to　our　grandmother；　and
  during　that　time　the　rest　of　us　kept　silence　in　the　divannaia；　or
  only　whispered　to　one　another　on　the　subject　of　who　should
  precede　whom。　At　length；　the　voice　of　the　priest　again　reading　the
  prayer　sounded　from　the　doorway；　and　then　Papa's　footsteps。　The
  door　creaked　as　he　came　out；　coughing　and　holding　one　shoulder
  higher　than　the　other；　in　his　usual　way；　and　for　the　moment　he
  did　not　look　at　any　of　us。
  〃YOU　go　now；　Luba；〃　he　said　presently；　as　he　gave　her　cheek　a
  mischievous　pinch。　〃Mind　you　tell　him　everything。　You　are　my
  greatest　sinner；　you　know。〃
  Lubotshka　went　red　and　pale　by　turns；　took　her　memorandum　paper
  out　of　her　apron；　replaced　it；　and　finally　moved　away　towards　the
  doorway　with　her　head　sunk　between　her　shoulders　as　though　she
  expected　to　receive　a　blow　upon　it　from　above。　She　was　not　long
  gone；　and　when　she　returned　her　shoulders　were　shaking　with　sobs。
  At　lengthnext　after　the　excellent　Katenka　（who　came　out　of　the
  doorway　with　a　smile　on　her　face）my　turn　arrived。　I　entered　the
  dimly…lighted　room　with　the　same　vague　feeling　of　awe；　the　same
  conscious　eagerness　to　arouse　that　feeling　more　and　more　in　my
  soul；　that　had　possessed　me　up　to　the　present　moment。　The　priest；
  standing　in　front　of　a　reading…desk；　slowly　turned　his　face　to
  me。
  I　was　not　more　than　five　minutes　in　the　room；　but　came　out　from
  it　happy　and　（so　I　persuaded　myself）　entirely　cleanseda　new；　a
  morally　reborn　individual。　Despite　the　fact　that　the　old
  surroundings　of　my　life　now　struck　me　as　unfamiliar　（even　though
  the　rooms；　the　furniture；　and　my　own　figurewould　to　heavens
  that　I　could　have　changed　my　outer　man　for　the　better　in　the　same
  way　that　I　believed　myself　to　have　changed　my　inner　Iwere　the
  same　as　before）；　I　remained　in　that　comfortable　attitude　of　mine
  until　the　very　moment　of　bedtime。
  Yet；　no　sooner　had　I　begun　to　grow　drowsy　with　the　conning　over
  of　my　sins　than　in　a　flash　I　recollected　a　particularly　shameful
  sin　which　I　had　suppressed　at　confession　time。　Instantly　the
  words　of　the　prayer　before　confession　came　back　to　my　memory　and
  began　sounding　in　my　ears。　My　peace　was　gone　for　ever。　〃For　if
  thou　concealest　aught；　then　great　will　be　thy　sin。〃　Each　time
  that　the　phrase　recurred　to　me　I　saw　myself　a　sinner　for　whom　no
  punishment　was　adequate。　Long　did　I　toss　from　side　to　side　as　I
  considered　my　position；　while　expecting　every　moment　to　be
  visite