evening,
and came in the form of a new and agonizing riddle.

Half an hour after the Epanchins had gone, Hippolyte arrived, so tired
that, almost unconscious, he sank into a chair, and broke into such a
fit of coughing that he could not stop. He coughed till the blood came.
His eyes glittered, and two red spots on his cheeks grew brighter and
brighter. The prince murmured something to him, but Hippolyte only
signed that he must be left alone for a while, and sat silent. At last
he came to himself.

"I am off," he said, hoarsely, and with difficulty.

"Shall I see you home?" asked the prince, rising from his seat, but
suddenly stopping short as he remembered Aglaya's prohibition against
leaving the house. Hippolyte laughed.

"I don't mean that I am going to leave your house," he continued,
still gasping and coughing. "On the contrary, I thought it absolutely
necessary to come and see you; otherwise I should not have troubled you.
I am off there, you know, and this time I believe, seriously, that I am
off! It's all over. I did not come here for sympathy, believe me. I lay
down this morning at ten o'clock with the intention of not rising again
before that time; but I thought it over and rose just once more in
order to come here; from which you may deduce that I had some reason for
wishing to come."

"It grieves me to see you so, Hippolyte. Why didn't you send me a
message? I would have come up and saved you this trouble."

"Well, well! Enough! You've pitied me, and that's all that good manners
exact. I forgot, how are you?"

"I'm all right; yesterday I was a little--"

"I know, I heard; the china vase caught it! I'm sorry I wasn't there.
I've come about something important. In the first place I had, the
pleasure of seeing Gavrila Ardalionovitch and Aglaya Ivanovna enjoying a
rendezvous on the green bench in the park. I was astonished to see what
a fool a man can look. I remarked upon the fact to Aglaya Ivanovna when
he had gone. I don't think anything ever surprises you, prince!" added
Hippolyte, gazing incredulously at the prince's calm demeanour. "To be
astonished by nothing is a sign, they say, of a great intellect. In my
opinion it would serve equally well as a sign of great foolishness. I
am not hinting about you; pardon me! I am very unfortunate today in my
expressions.

"I knew yesterday that Gavrila Ardalionovitch--" began the prince, and
paused in evident confusion, though Hippolyte had shown annoyance