Lizabetha Prokofievna glaredseverely at them. “We are only laughing at the prince’s beautiful bows,mamma,” said Adelaida. “Sometimes he bows just like a meal-sack, butto-day he was like--like Evgenie Pavlovitch!”
“It is the _heart_ which is the best teacher of refinement and dignity,not the dancing-master,” said her mother, sententiously, and departedupstairs to her own room, not so much as glancing at Aglaya.
When the prince reached home, about nine o’clock, he found Vera Lebedeffand the maid on the verandah. They were both busy trying to tidy up theplace after last night’s disorderly party.
“Thank goodness, we’ve just managed to finish it before you came in!” said Vera, joyfully.
“Good-morning! My head whirls so; I didn’t sleep all night. I shouldlike to have a nap now.”
“Here, on the verandah? Very well, I’ll tell them all not to come andwake you. Papa has gone out somewhere.”
The servant left the room. Vera was about to follow her, but returnedand approached the prince with a preoccupied air.
“Prince!” she said, “have pity on that poor boy; don’t turn him outtoday.”
“Not for the world; he shall do just as he likes.”
“He won’t do any harm now; and--and don’t be too severe with him.”
“Oh dear no! Why--”
“And--and you won’t _laugh_ at him? That’s the chief thing.”
“Oh no! Never.”
“How foolish I am to speak of such things to a man like you,” said Vera,blushing. “Though you _do_ look tired,” she added, half turning away,“your eyes are so splendid at this moment--so full of happiness.”
“Really?” asked the prince, gleefully, and he laughed in delight.
But Vera, simple-minded little girl that she was (just like a boy, infact), here became dreadfully confused, of a sudden, and ran hastily outof the room, laughing and blushing.
“What a dear little thing she is,” thought the prince, and immediatelyforgot all about her.
He walked to the far end of the verandah, where the sofa stood, witha table in front of it. Here he sat down and covered his face with hishands, and so remained for ten minutes. Suddenly he put his hand in hiscoat-pocket and hurriedly produced three letters.
But the door opened again, and out came Colia.
The prince actually felt glad that he had been interrupted,--and mightreturn the letters to his pocket. He was glad of the respite.
“Well,” said Colia, plunging in medias res, as he always did, “here’sa go! What do you think of Hippolyte now? Don’t respect him any longer,eh?”
“Why not? But look here, Colia, I’m tired; besides, the subject is toomelancholy to begin upon again. How is he, though?”
“Asleep--he’ll sleep for a couple of hours yet. I quiteunderstand--you haven’t slept--you walked about the park, I know.Agitation--excitement--all that sort of thing--quite natural, too!”
“How do you know I walked in the park and didn’t sleep at home?”
“Vera just told me. She tried to persuade me not to come, but I couldn’thelp myself, just for one minute. I have been having my turn at thebedside for the last two hours; Kostia Lebedeff is there now. Burdovskyhas gone. Now, lie down, prince, make yourself comfortable, and sleepwell! I’m awfully impressed, you know.”
“Naturally, all this--”
“No, no, I mean with the ‘explanation,’ especially that part of it wherehe talks about Providence and a future life. There is a gigantic thoughtthere.”
The prince gazed affectionately at Colia, who, of course, had come insolely for the purpose of talking about this “gigantic thought.”
“But it is not any one particular thought, only; it is the generalcircumstances of the case. If Voltaire had written this now, orRousseau, I should have just read it and thought it remarkable, butshould not have been so _impressed_ by it. But a man who knows forcertain that he has but ten minutes to live and can talk likethat--why--it’s--it’s _pride_, that is! It is really a most extraordinary,exalted assertion of personal dignity, it’s--it’s _defiant!_ What a_gigantic_ strength of will, eh? And to accuse a fellow like that of notputting in the cap on purpose; it’s base and mean! You know he deceivedus last night, the cunning rascal. I never packed his bag for him, andI never saw his pistol. He packed it himself. But he put me off my guardlike that, you see. Vera says you are going to let him stay on; I swearthere’s no danger, especially as we are always with him.”
“Who was by him at night?”
“I, and Burdovsky, and Kostia Lebedeff. Keller stayed a little while,and then went over to Lebedeff’s to sleep. Ferdishenko slept atLebedeff’s, too; but he went away at seven o’clock. My father is alwaysat Lebedeff’s; but he has gone out just now. I dare say Lebedeff will becoming in here directly; he has been looking for you; I don’t know whathe wants. Shall we let him in or not, if you are asleep? I’m going tohave a nap, too. By-the-by, such a curious thing happened. Burdovskywoke me at seven, and I met my father just outside the room, so drunk,he didn’t even know me. He stood before me like a log, and when herecovered himself, asked hurriedly how Hippolyte was. ‘Yes,’ he said,when I told him, ‘that’s all very well, but I _really_ came to warn youthat you must be very careful what you say before Ferdishenko.’ Do youfollow me, prince?”
“Yes. Is it really so? However, it’s all the same to us, of course.”
“Of course it is; we are not a secret society; and that being the case,it is all the more curious that the general should have been on his wayto wake me up in order to tell me this.”
“Ferdishenko has gone, you say?”
“Yes, he went at seven o’clock. He came into the room on his way out; Iwas watching just then. He said he was going to spend ‘the rest of thenight’ at Wilkin’s; there’s a tipsy fellow, a friend of his, of thatname. Well, I’m off. Oh, here’s Lebedeff himself! The prince wants to goto sleep, Lukian Timofeyovitch, so you may just go away again.”
“One moment, my dear prince, just one. I must absolutely speak to youabout something which is most grave,” said Lebedeff, mysteriously andsolemnly, entering the room with a bow and looking extremely important.He had but just returned, and carried his hat in his hand. He lookedpreoccupied and most unusually dignified.
The prince begged him to take a chair.
“I hear you have called twice; I suppose you are still worried aboutyesterday’s affair.”
“What, about that boy, you mean? Oh dear no, yesterday my ideas werea little--well--mixed. Today, I assure you, I shall not oppose in theslightest degree any suggestions it may please you to make.”
“What’s up with you this morning, Lebedeff? You look so important anddignified, and you choose your words so carefully,” said the prince,smiling.
“Nicolai Ardalionovitch!” said Lebedeff, in a most amiable tone ofvoice, addressing the boy. “As I have a communication to make to theprince which concerns only myself--”
“Of course, of course, not my affair. All right,” said Colia, and awayhe went.
“I love that boy for his perception,” said Lebedeff, looking afterhim. “My dear prince,” he continued, “I have had a terrible misfortune,either last night or early this morning. I cannot tell the exact time.”
“What is it?”
“I have lost four hundred roubles out of my side pocket! They’re gone!” said Lebedeff, with a sour smile.
“You’ve lost four hundred roubles? Oh! I’m sorry for that.”
“Yes, it is serious for a poor man who lives by his toil.”
“Of course, of course! How was it?”
“Oh, the wine is to blame, of course. I confess to you, prince, as Iwould to Providence itself. Yesterday I received four hundred roublesfrom a debtor at about five in the afternoon, and came down here bytrain. I had my purse in my pocket. When I changed, I put the moneyinto the pocket of my plain clothes, intending to keep it by me, as Iexpected to have an applicant for it in the evening.”
“It’s true then, Lebedeff,
that you advertise to lend money on gold orsilver articles?”
“Yes, through an agent. My own name doesn’t appear. I have a largefamily, you see, and at a small percentage--”
“Quite so, quite so. I only asked for information--excuse the question.Go on.”
“Well, meanwhile that sick boy was brought here, and those guests camein, and we had tea, and--well, we made merry--to my ruin! Hearing ofyour birthday afterwards, and excited with the circumstances of theevening, I ran upstairs and changed my plain clothes once more for myuniform [Civil Service clerks in Russia wear uniform.]--you must havenoticed I had my uniform on all the evening? Well, I forgot the money inthe pocket of my old coat--you know when God will ruin a man he firstof all bereaves him of his senses--and it was only this morning athalf-past seven that I woke up and grabbed at my coat pocket, firstthing. The pocket was empty--the purse gone, and not a trace to befound!”
“Dear me! This is very unpleasant!”
“Unpleasant! Indeed it is. You have found a very appropriateexpression,” said Lebedeff, politely, but with sarcasm.
“But what’s to be done? It’s a serious matter,” said the prince,thoughtfully. “Don’t
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