? From whom? And so early in the morning?"

"Early?" said Lebedeff, sarcastically. "Time counts for nothing, even in
physical chastisement; but my slap in the face was not physical, it was
moral."

He suddenly took a seat, very unceremoniously, and began his story. It
was very disconnected; the prince frowned, and wished he could get away;
but suddenly a few words struck him. He sat stiff with wonder--Lebedeff
said some extraordinary things.

In the first place he began about some letter; the name of Aglaya
Ivanovna came in. Then suddenly he broke off and began to accuse the
prince of something; he was apparently offended with him. At first he
declared that the prince had trusted him with his confidences as to "a
certain person" (Nastasia Philipovna), but that of late his friendship
had been thrust back into his bosom, and his innocent question as to
"approaching family changes" had been curtly put aside, which Lebedeff
declared, with tipsy tears, he could not bear; especially as he knew so
much already both from Rogojin and Nastasia Philipovna and her friend,
and from Varvara Ardalionovna, and even from Aglaya Ivanovna, through
his daughter Vera. "And who told Lizabetha Prokofievna something in
secret, by letter? Who told her all about the movements of a certain
person called Nastasia Philipovna? Who was the anonymous person, eh?
Tell me!"

"Surely not you?" cried the prince.

"Just so," said Lebedeff, with dignity; "and only this very morning I
have sent up a letter to the noble lady, stating that I have a matter of
great importance to communicate. She received the letter; I know she got
it; and she received ME, too."

"Have you just seen Lizabetha Prokofievna?" asked the prince, scarcely
believing his ears.

"Yes, I saw her, and got the said slap in the face as mentioned. She
chucked the letter back to me unopened, and kicked me out of the house,
morally, not physically, although not far off it."

"What letter do you mean she returned unopened?"

"What! didn't I tell you? Ha, ha, ha! I thought I had. Why, I received a
letter, you know, to be handed over--"

"From whom? To whom?"

But it was difficult, if not impossible, to extract anything from
Lebedeff. All the prince could gather was, that the letter had been
received very early, and had a request written on the outside that it
might be sent on to the address given.

"Just as before, sir, just as before! To a certain person, and from
a certain hand.