ut. And so
Ivan Petrovitch REALLY knew Natalia Nikitishna!--what a saintly nature
was hers!--and Martha Nikitishna! Ivan Petrovitch must excuse him,
but really he was not quite fair on dear old Martha. She was severe,
perhaps; but then what else could she be with such a little idiot as he
was then? (Ha, ha.) He really was an idiot then, Ivan Petrovitch must
know, though he might not believe it. (Ha, ha.) So he had really seen
him there! Good heavens! And was he really and truly and actually a
cousin of Pavlicheff's?

"I assure you of it," laughed Ivan Petrovitch, gazing amusedly at the
prince.

"Oh! I didn't say it because I DOUBT the fact, you know. (Ha, ha.)
How could I doubt such a thing? (Ha, ha, ha.) I made the remark
because--because Nicolai Andreevitch Pavlicheff was such a splendid man,
don't you see! Such a high-souled man, he really was, I assure you."

The prince did not exactly pant for breath, but he "seemed almost
to CHOKE out of pure simplicity and goodness of heart," as Adelaida
expressed it, on talking the party over with her fiance, the Prince S.,
next morning.

"But, my goodness me," laughed Ivan Petrovitch, "why can't I be cousin
to even a splendid man?"

"Oh, dear!" cried the prince, confused, trying to hurry his words
out, and growing more and more eager every moment: "I've gone and said
another stupid thing. I don't know what to say. I--I didn't mean that,
you know--I--I--he really was such a splendid man, wasn't he?"

The prince trembled all over. Why was he so agitated? Why had he flown
into such transports of delight without any apparent reason? He had far
outshot the measure of joy and emotion consistent with the occasion. Why
this was it would be difficult to say.

He seemed to feel warmly and deeply grateful to someone for something or
other--perhaps to Ivan Petrovitch; but likely enough to all the guests,
individually, and collectively. He was much too happy.

Ivan Petrovitch began to stare at him with some surprise; the dignitary,
too, looked at him with considerable attention; Princess Bielokonski
glared at him angrily, and compressed her lips. Prince N., Evgenie,
Prince S., and the girls, all broke off their own conversations and
listened. Aglaya seemed a little startled; as for Lizabetha Prokofievna,
her heart sank within her.

This was odd of Lizabetha Prokofievna and her daughters. They had
themselves decided that it would be better if the prince did not talk
all the eveni