ring helplessly, towards the table. On his way he
collided against Ptitsin's chair, and put his dirty foot on the lace
skirt of the silent lady's dress; but he neither apologized for this,
nor even noticed it.

On reaching the table, he placed upon it a strange-looking object, which
he had carried with him into the drawing-room. This was a paper packet,
some six or seven inches thick, and eight or nine in length, wrapped in
an old newspaper, and tied round three or four times with string.

Having placed this before her, he stood with drooped arms and head, as
though awaiting his sentence.

His costume was the same as it had been in the morning, except for a new
silk handkerchief round his neck, bright green and red, fastened with a
huge diamond pin, and an enormous diamond ring on his dirty forefinger.

Lebedeff stood two or three paces behind his chief; and the rest of the
band waited about near the door.

The two maid-servants were both peeping in, frightened and amazed at
this unusual and disorderly scene.

"What is that?" asked Nastasia Philipovna, gazing intently at Rogojin,
and indicating the paper packet.

"A hundred thousand," replied the latter, almost in a whisper.

"Oh! so he kept his word--there's a man for you! Well, sit down,
please--take that chair. I shall have something to say to you presently.
Who are all these with you? The same party? Let them come in and sit
down. There's room on that sofa, there are some chairs and there's
another sofa! Well, why don't they sit down?"

Sure enough, some of the brave fellows entirely lost their heads at this
point, and retreated into the next room. Others, however, took the hint
and sat down, as far as they could from the table, however; feeling
braver in proportion to their distance from Nastasia.

Rogojin took the chair offered him, but he did not sit long; he soon
stood up again, and did not reseat himself. Little by little he began
to look around him and discern the other guests. Seeing Gania, he smiled
venomously and muttered to himself, "Look at that!"

He gazed at Totski and the general with no apparent confusion, and with
very little curiosity. But when he observed that the prince was seated
beside Nastasia Philipovna, he could not take his eyes off him for
a long while, and was clearly amazed. He could not account for the
prince's presence there. It was not in the least surprising that Rogojin
should be, at this time, in a more or less delirious