than is good for them for years. He loves his
children--oh, I know that well enough! He respected my aunt, his late
wife... and he even has a sort of affection for me. He has remembered me
in his will."

"I shall leave you nothing!" exclaimed his uncle angrily.

"Listen to me, Lebedeff," said the prince in a decided voice, turning
his back on the young man. "I know by experience that when you choose,
you can be business-like.. I. I have very little time to spare, and
if you... By the way--excuse me--what is your Christian name? I have
forgotten it."

"Ti-Ti-Timofey."

"And?"

"Lukianovitch."

Everyone in the room began to laugh.

"He is telling lies!" cried the nephew. "Even now he cannot speak
the truth. He is not called Timofey Lukianovitch, prince, but Lukian
Timofeyovitch. Now do tell us why you must needs lie about it? Lukian or
Timofey, it is all the same to you, and what difference can it make to
the prince? He tells lies without the least necessity, simply by force
of habit, I assure you."

"Is that true?" said the prince impatiently.

"My name really is Lukian Timofeyovitch," acknowledged Lebedeff,
lowering his eyes, and putting his hand on his heart.

"Well, for God's sake, what made you say the other?"

"To humble myself," murmured Lebedeff.

"What on earth do you mean? Oh I if only I knew where Colia was at this
moment!" cried the prince, standing up, as if to go.

"I can tell you all about Colia," said the young man

"Oh! no, no!" said Lebedeff, hurriedly.

"Colia spent the night here, and this morning went after his father,
whom you let out of prison by paying his debts--Heaven only knows why!
Yesterday the general promised to come and lodge here, but he did not
appear. Most probably he slept at the hotel close by. No doubt Colia
is there, unless he has gone to Pavlofsk to see the Epanchins. He had a
little money, and was intending to go there yesterday. He must be either
at the hotel or at Pavlofsk."

"At Pavlofsk! He is at Pavlofsk, undoubtedly!" interrupted Lebedeff....
"But come--let us go into the garden--we will have coffee there...." And
Lebedeff seized the prince's arm, and led him from the room. They went
across the yard, and found themselves in a delightful little garden
with the trees already in their summer dress of green, thanks to the
unusually fine weather. Lebedeff invited his guest to sit down on a
green seat before a table of the same colour fixed in the earth, and
t