found something to smile at in his appearance. But
what is there that people will not smile at?

The prince took a cab and drove to a street near the Nativity, where he
soon discovered the house he was seeking. It was a small wooden villa,
and he was struck by its attractive and clean appearance; it stood in
a pleasant little garden, full of flowers. The windows looking on the
street were open, and the sound of a voice, reading aloud or making
a speech, came through them. It rose at times to a shout, and was
interrupted occasionally by bursts of laughter.

Prince Muishkin entered the court-yard, and ascended the steps. A cook
with her sleeves turned up to the elbows opened the door. The visitor
asked if Mr. Lebedeff were at home.

"He is in there," said she, pointing to the salon.

The room had a blue wall-paper, and was well, almost pretentiously,
furnished, with its round table, its divan, and its bronze clock under
a glass shade. There was a narrow pier-glass against the wall, and a
chandelier adorned with lustres hung by a bronze chain from the ceiling.

When the prince entered, Lebedeff was standing in the middle of the
room, his back to the door. He was in his shirt-sleeves, on account of
the extreme heat, and he seemed to have just reached the peroration of
his speech, and was impressively beating his breast.

His audience consisted of a youth of about fifteen years of age with a
clever face, who had a book in his hand, though he was not reading; a
young lady of twenty, in deep mourning, stood near him with an infant in
her arms; another girl of thirteen, also in black, was laughing loudly,
her mouth wide open; and on the sofa lay a handsome young man,
with black hair and eyes, and a suspicion of beard and whiskers. He
frequently interrupted the speaker and argued with him, to the great
delight of the others.

"Lukian Timofeyovitch! Lukian Timofeyovitch! Here's someone to see you!
Look here!... a gentleman to speak to you!... Well, it's not my fault!"
and the cook turned and went away red with anger.

Lebedeff started, and at sight of the prince stood like a statue for a
moment. Then he moved up to him with an ingratiating smile, but stopped
short again.

"Prince! ex-ex-excellency!" he stammered. Then suddenly he ran towards
the girl with the infant, a movement so unexpected by her that she
staggered and fell back, but next moment he was threatening the other
child, who was standing, still laughing, in