nia interrupted.

But the general only stood stupefied and gazed around in a dazed way.
Gania's speech had impressed him, with its terrible candour. For the
first moment or two he could find no words to answer him, and it was
only when Hippolyte burst out laughing, and said:

"There, you see! Even your own son supports my statement that there
never was such a person as Captain Eropegoff!" that the old fellow
muttered confusedly:

"Kapiton Eropegoff--not Captain Eropegoff!--Kapiton--major
retired--Eropegoff--Kapiton."

"Kapiton didn't exist either!" persisted Gania, maliciously.

"What? Didn't exist?" cried the poor general, and a deep blush suffused
his face.

"That'll do, Gania!" cried Varia and Ptitsin.

"Shut up, Gania!" said Colia.

But this intercession seemed to rekindle the general.

"What did you mean, sir, that he didn't exist? Explain yourself," he
repeated, angrily.

"Because he DIDN'T exist--never could and never did--there! You'd better
drop the subject, I warn you!"

"And this is my son--my own son--whom I--oh, gracious Heaven!
Eropegoff--Eroshka Eropegoff didn't exist!"

"Ha, ha! it's Eroshka now," laughed Hippolyte.

"No, sir, Kapitoshka--not Eroshka. I mean, Kapiton Alexeyevitch--retired
major--married Maria Petrovna Lu--Lu--he was my friend and
companion--Lutugoff--from our earliest beginnings. I closed his eyes for
him--he was killed. Kapiton Eropegoff never existed! tfu!"

The general shouted in his fury; but it was to be concluded that his
wrath was not kindled by the expressed doubt as to Kapiton's existence.
This was his scapegoat; but his excitement was caused by something quite
different. As a rule he would have merely shouted down the doubt as
to Kapiton, told a long yarn about his friend, and eventually retired
upstairs to his room. But today, in the strange uncertainty of human
nature, it seemed to require but so small an offence as this to make
his cup to overflow. The old man grew purple in the face, he raised his
hands. "Enough of this!" he yelled. "My curse--away, out of the house
I go! Colia, bring my bag away!" He left the room hastily and in a
paroxysm of rage.

His wife, Colia, and Ptitsin ran out after him.

"What have you done now?" said Varia to Gania. "He'll probably be making
off THERE again! What a disgrace it all is!"

"Well, he shouldn't steal," cried Gania, panting with fury. And just at
this moment his eye met Hippolyte's.

"As for you, sir," he cried