She tried her best to get the men for herself. Under ordinary circumstances Grushenka probably would have kept still and would have let things take their course, but in her happy mood of being out of her serfdom, at least for the moment, and being near to the man who seemed the dream lover of her past years, she developed a cheeriness which led to a silent battle between the two females. Meanwhile the men ate with hearty appetites and Fladilow encouraged Grushenka whenever he saw an opportunity. Not so Mihail, especially not after the dinner, when Grushenka sat down on his lap and started to smother him with kisses. She took possession of him and although he was enchanted by her charms, he felt that she became too “sticky,” too close to him. Before the real love-making between them started, he was already wondering how he could get rid of her with grace. Fladilow loitered around the room, kept the country vixen at her distance and took another room next to the one they were in, where he intended to have a quick party with the little whore in order to fall easily to sleep. They had a long trip ahead of them the next morning and it was getting late. But his eyes were longing for Grushenka and the little whore did not miss that. Feeling that she could not triumph mentally over her rival, she tried physically. Without a word she took her blouse off and slipped the ribbons of her shirt over her shoulders. Turning towards both men, she displayed two large, well made breasts with full red nipples. “Here,” she said, “that's the reason why men call me in and why no traveler passing this inn forgets to send for me. Let's see what that woman has to say to that.”
“Well,” he said to Grushenka, who was most intimately ruffling his hair. “Well, my dear, what do you have to say?” Grushenka looked into his eyes. She rose from his lap. With quiet motions she took her clothes off. She crossed her hands behind her neck and stood before the men with dignity. All four were silent until the whore broke out in an angry speech. “Look at that hole of hers!” she cried.
“I bet many hundreds of men-” But she could not finish the sentence, Fladilow rushed up to her and closed her mouth with a push of his hand. “Get out of here!” he shouted at her. He flung her blouse and other belongings after her and topped it with a silver ruble, which she caught skillfully while her scornful words bellowed through the hallway. What was in Mihail's mind was that by dividing the young girl between his friend and himself he was getting rid of all obligations and there would be no fear that she should have any claims on him. He went leisurely to bed, showing that he was in no hurry whatsoever. He laid himself next to her, put his arms around her and seemed to express with his movements that all was right now, and let's have it. He expected that she would kiss and fondle him. She hardly stirred. Of course she rested close to him, touching bodies, but nothing more than that. He turned towards her. He mounted her and worked away on her. She pressed him in her arms, close, so close. She encircled him with her legs, raised her thighs so high that her heels pressed tightly on his bottom. But she did not respond to his love-making. She lay as if in a trance, unable to move, overcome in a passive rapture, but he did not realize this. She did not give him any pleasure and he was disappointed. What a silly girl! First to act like a lovelorn cat and then, when it came to the point, a creature without any feelings. When Mihail was through, he told her to take care of his friend. She got up like a sleepwalker and disappeared into Fladilow's room. Fladilow was eager to explain to her that since she loved his friend, he was too much of a gentleman to touch her unless she wanted it, but she realized that he was still hungry for her. She wanted to talk with Fladilow about his friend. She wanted to know everything about him. She was ordered to relieve the young fellow of his passion, and she proceeded to do so. She remembered how she had done this with the Prince and she did her job in the same fashion.
“What a creature! What a wonderful creature,” thought Fladilow before he fell asleep. Mihail was already asleep when Grushenka returned. She hardly dared to go back into the bed alongside of him.
But he did not wake up, he did not stir. Sleep was far away from Grushenka's eyes. She lay awake, staring through the darkness of the room at the man next to her, at her beloved, the one and only. She did not cry because fate would take him away from her the next day, she just prayed for him and she was happy until the early morning hours closed her eyes for a short rest. It was a grey morning of drizzling rain and they were three tired and moody travelers. They spoke very little. The horses made haste to reach the next stable while the coachman uttered faint curses and did not bother to wipe the raindrops from his wet face. They ate hurried meals by the wayside and the spirit of adventure and sentiment of the previous night was forgotten. When Grushenka left them for a moment in an inn, Fladilow wanted to collect the laurels for the night before. Winking with his eye after the disappearing girl, he commented on her unusual love-making qualities. He was surprised at the answer he got and could no more understand his friend than the other could get the meaning of his words. “Lousy!” remarked Mihail. “Just lousy! Take a piece of timber and screw a hole in it and you'd get a better reaction. Isn't it so?” This puzzled them both. Especially when Fladilow swore that since that Swedish girl in Stockholm, of whom he had spoken so often before, he had not had such a wonderful time, except with Grushenka.
To which Mihail answered, “Pooh!” and the matter was dropped.
They reached the towers of Moscow after dark, passing the gates without molestation after Mihail had presented his pass. The clattering and rumbling coach entered the ill-lit streets of the poor quarters. Grushenka begged to be permitted to take leave. The men wondered what business she had in this city, but they stopped the carriage assuring her that if they could do anything for her at any time they were at her service. When Grushenka departed, Mihail kissed her on both cheeks and felt a sudden attachment to this mysterious beauty. Before they finally parted she felt Mihail press something into her hand. “Password to the gates of heaven and hell!” he cried merrily, and the coach drove on at a quick pace.
Grushenka stood on the sidewalk. She was alone. In her hand were a few gold pieces. She began to cry. He had paid her. What a disgrace!
She knew the neighborhood well enough and started a hasty run along the houses, keeping in the shadows, until she came to an old, dilapidated two story house. She moved around the building to a back entrance which was open and ascended a creaking wooden stair, dimly lit by small oil lamps. On the top floor she stopped and knocked on one of the many doors which were around this landing. First she knocked faintly, then more boldly, with great fear in her heart that her only girl friend Martha might not live here any more. She had not seen her since she had gone to the Sokolows, in fact had never had the opportunity to tell her about her change in life. What would happen to her now if she could not find shelter with Martha? Finally there was a faint rustling inside and a terrified small voice asked who was outside. “Grushenka,” answered the girl, her heart leaping with joy.