responsibility; though she may be safe enough with Varia. Still, meat
and drink is not everything."

He jumped up and hurried off, remembering suddenly that he was wanted
at his father's bedside; but before he went out of the room he inquired
hastily after the prince's health, and receiving the latter's reply,
added:

"Isn't there something else, prince? I heard yesterday, but I have
no right to talk about this... If you ever want a true friend and
servant--neither you nor I are so very happy, are we?--come to me. I
won't ask you questions, though."

He ran off and left the prince more dejected than ever.

Everyone seemed to be speaking prophetically, hinting at some misfortune
or sorrow to come; they had all looked at him as though they knew
something which he did not know. Lebedeff had asked questions, Colia had
hinted, and Vera had shed tears. What was it?

At last, with a sigh of annoyance, he said to himself that it was
nothing but his own cursed sickly suspicion. His face lighted up with
joy when, at about two o'clock, he espied the Epanchins coming along to
pay him a short visit, "just for a minute." They really had only come
for a minute.

Lizabetha Prokofievna had announced, directly after lunch, that they
would all take a walk together. The information was given in the form of
a command, without explanation, drily and abruptly. All had issued forth
in obedience to the mandate; that is, the girls, mamma, and Prince S.
Lizabetha Prokofievna went off in a direction exactly contrary to the
usual one, and all understood very well what she was driving at, but
held their peace, fearing to irritate the good lady. She, as though
anxious to avoid any conversation, walked ahead, silent and alone. At
last Adelaida remarked that it was no use racing along at such a pace,
and that she could not keep up with her mother.

"Look here," said Lizabetha Prokofievna, turning round suddenly; "we are
passing his house. Whatever Aglaya may think, and in spite of anything
that may happen, he is not a stranger to us; besides which, he is ill
and in misfortune. I, for one, shall call in and see him. Let anyone
follow me who cares to."

Of course every one of them followed her.

The prince hastened to apologize, very properly, for yesterday's mishap
with the vase, and for the scene generally.

"Oh, that's nothing," replied Lizabetha; "I'm not sorry for the vase,
I'm sorry for you. H'm! so you can see that there was a 'scene