you like, prince-how you liked Switzerland, what was your first
impression, anything. You'll see, he'll begin directly and tell us all
about it beautifully."

"The impression was forcible--" the prince began.

"There, you see, girls," said the impatient lady, "he has begun, you
see."

"Well, then, LET him talk, mamma," said Alexandra. "This prince is a
great humbug and by no means an idiot," she whispered to Aglaya.

"Oh, I saw that at once," replied the latter. "I don't think it at all
nice of him to play a part. What does he wish to gain by it, I wonder?"

"My first impression was a very strong one," repeated the prince. "When
they took me away from Russia, I remember I passed through many German
towns and looked out of the windows, but did not trouble so much as to
ask questions about them. This was after a long series of fits. I always
used to fall into a sort of torpid condition after such a series, and
lost my memory almost entirely; and though I was not altogether without
reason at such times, yet I had no logical power of thought. This would
continue for three or four days, and then I would recover myself again.
I remember my melancholy was intolerable; I felt inclined to cry; I
sat and wondered and wondered uncomfortably; the consciousness that
everything was strange weighed terribly upon me; I could understand that
it was all foreign and strange. I recollect I awoke from this state for
the first time at Basle, one evening; the bray of a donkey aroused me,
a donkey in the town market. I saw the donkey and was extremely pleased
with it, and from that moment my head seemed to clear."

"A donkey? How strange! Yet it is not strange. Anyone of us might fall
in love with a donkey! It happened in mythological times," said Madame
Epanchin, looking wrathfully at her daughters, who had begun to laugh.
"Go on, prince."

"Since that evening I have been specially fond of donkeys. I began to
ask questions about them, for I had never seen one before; and I at
once came to the conclusion that this must be one of the most useful of
animals--strong, willing, patient, cheap; and, thanks to this donkey,
I began to like the whole country I was travelling through; and my
melancholy passed away."

"All this is very strange and interesting," said Mrs. Epanchin. "Now
let's leave the donkey and go on to other matters. What are you laughing
at, Aglaya? and you too, Adelaida? The prince told us his experiences
very cleverly; he