n
in the highest positions felt flattered by invitations to his parties.

The Prince had few friends left now like Grandmamma--that is to say, few
friends who were of the same standing as himself, who had had the same
sort of education, and who saw things from the same point of view:
wherefore he greatly valued his intimate, long-standing friendship with
her, and always showed her the highest respect.

I hardly dared to look at the Prince, since the honour paid him on all
sides, the huge epaulettes, the peculiar pleasure with which Grandmamma
received him, and the fact that he alone, seemed in no way afraid of
her, but addressed her with perfect freedom (even being so daring as to
call her "cousin"), awakened in me a feeling of reverence for his person
almost equal to that which I felt for Grandmamma herself.

On being shown my verses, he called me to his side, and said:

"Who knows, my cousin, but that he may prove to be a second Derzhavin?"
Nevertheless he pinched my cheek so hard that I was only prevented from
crying by the thought that it must be meant for a caress.

Gradually the other guests dispersed, and with them Papa and Woloda.
Thus only Grandmamma, the Prince, and myself were left in the
drawing-room.

"Why has our dear Natalia Nicolaevna not come to-day" asked the Prince
after a silence.

"Ah, my friend," replied Grandmamma, lowering her voice and laying a
hand upon the sleeve of his uniform, "she would certainly have come if
she had been at liberty to do what she likes. She wrote to me that Peter
had proposed bringing her with him to town, but that she had refused,
since their income had not been good this year, and she could see
no real reason why the whole family need come to Moscow, seeing that
Lubotshka was as yet very young and that the boys were living with me--a
fact, she said, which made her feel as safe about them as though she had
been living with them herself."

"True, it is good for the boys to be here," went on Grandmamma, yet in
a tone which showed clearly that she did not think it was so very good,
"since it was more than time that they should be sent to Moscow to
study, as well as to learn how to comport themselves in society. What
sort of an education could they have got in the country? The eldest boy
will soon be thirteen, and the second one eleven. As yet, my cousin,
they are quite untaught, and do not know even how to enter a room."

"Nevertheless" said the Prince, "I cannot u