"Well done, prince, capital!" cried Aglaya, who entered the room at this moment. "Thank you for assuming that I would not demean myself with lies. Come, is that enough, mamma, or do you intend to put any more questions?""You know I have never needed to blush before you, up to this day, though perhaps you would have been glad enough to make me,"said Lizabetha Prokofievna,--with majesty. "Good-bye, prince;forgive me for bothering you. I trust you will rest assured of my unalterable esteem for you."The prince made his bows and retired at once. Alexandra and Adelaida smiled and whispered to each other, while Lizabetha Prokofievna glared severely at them. "We are only laughing at the prince's beautiful bows, mamma," said Adelaida. "Sometimes he bows just like a meal-sack, but to-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 departed upstairs to her own room, not so much as glancing at Aglaya.
When the prince reached home, about nine o'clock, he found Vera Lebedeff and the maid on the verandah. They were both busy trying to tidy up the place 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. Ishould like to have a nap now."
"Here, on the verandah? Very well, I'll tell them all not to come and wake you. Papa has gone out somewhere."The servant left the room. Vera was about to follow her, but returned and approached the prince with a preoccupied air.
"Prince!" she said, "have pity on that poor boy; don't turn him out today.""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, in fact), here became dreadfully confused, of a sudden, and ran hastily out of the room, laughing and blushing.
"What a dear little thing she is," thought the prince, and immediately forgot all about her.
He walked to the far end of the verandah, where the sofa stood, with a table in front of it. Here he sat down and covered his face with his hands, and so remained for ten minutes. Suddenly he put his hand in his coat-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 might return the letters to his pocket. He was glad of the respite.
"Well," said Colia, plunging in medias res, as he always did, "here's a 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 too melancholy to begin upon again. How is he, though?""Asleep--he'll sleep for a couple of hours yet. I quite understand--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 Icouldn't help myself, just for one minute. I have been having my turn at the bedside for the last two hours; Kostia Lebedeff is there now. Burdovsky has gone. Now, lie down, prince, make yourself comfortable, and sleep well! I'm awfully impressed, you know.""Naturally, all this--"
"No, no, I mean with the 'explanation,' especially that part of it where he talks about Providence and a future life. There is a gigantic thought there."The prince gazed affectionately at Colia, who, of course, had come in solely for the purpose of talking about this "gigantic thought.""But it is not any one particular thought, only; it is the general circumstances of the case. If Voltaire had written this now, or Rousseau, I should have just read it and thought it remarkable, but should not have been so IMPRESSED by it. But a man who knows for certain that he has but ten minutes to live and can talk like that--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 not putting in the cap on purpose;it's base and mean! You know he deceived us last night, the cunning rascal. I never packed his bag for him, and I never saw his pistol. He packed it himself. But he put me off my guard like that, you see. Vera says you are going to let him stay on; Iswear there's no danger, especially as we are always with him.""Who was by him at night?"
