rthday, and that he was looking forward to the
occasion when he should present his gift with the greatest excitement
and impatience. The day before her birthday he was in a fever of
agitation.

Mrs. Epanchin, long accustomed to her husband's infidelities, had
heard of the pearls, and the rumour excited her liveliest curiosity and
interest. The general remarked her suspicions, and felt that a grand
explanation must shortly take place--which fact alarmed him much.

This is the reason why he was so unwilling to take lunch (on the morning
upon which we took up this narrative) with the rest of his family.
Before the prince's arrival he had made up his mind to plead business,
and "cut" the meal; which simply meant running away.

He was particularly anxious that this one day should be
passed--especially the evening--without unpleasantness between himself
and his family; and just at the right moment the prince turned up--"as
though Heaven had sent him on purpose," said the general to himself, as
he left the study to seek out the wife of his bosom.

V.

Mrs. General Epanchin was a proud woman by nature. What must her
feelings have been when she heard that Prince Muishkin, the last of
his and her line, had arrived in beggar's guise, a wretched idiot, a
recipient of charity--all of which details the general gave out for
greater effect! He was anxious to steal her interest at the first swoop,
so as to distract her thoughts from other matters nearer home.

Mrs. Epanchin was in the habit of holding herself very straight, and
staring before her, without speaking, in moments of excitement.

She was a fine woman of the same age as her husband, with a slightly
hooked nose, a high, narrow forehead, thick hair turning a little grey,
and a sallow complexion. Her eyes were grey and wore a very curious
expression at times. She believed them to be most effective--a belief
that nothing could alter.

"What, receive him! Now, at once?" asked Mrs. Epanchin, gazing vaguely
at her husband as he stood fidgeting before her.

"Oh, dear me, I assure you there is no need to stand on ceremony with
him," the general explained hastily. "He is quite a child, not to say
a pathetic-looking creature. He has fits of some sort, and has just
arrived from Switzerland, straight from the station, dressed like a
German and without a farthing in his pocket. I gave him twenty-five
roubles to go on with, and am going to find him some easy place in one
of the g