ook a seat facing him. In a few minutes the coffee appeared, and the
prince did not refuse it. The host kept his eyes fixed on Muishkin, with
an expression of passionate servility.

"I knew nothing about your home before," said the prince absently, as if
he were thinking of something else.

"Poor orphans," began Lebedeff, his face assuming a mournful air, but he
stopped short, for the other looked at him inattentively, as if he had
already forgotten his own remark. They waited a few minutes in silence,
while Lebedeff sat with his eyes fixed mournfully on the young man's
face.

"Well!" said the latter, at last rousing himself. "Ah! yes! You know why
I came, Lebedeff. Your letter brought me. Speak! Tell me all about it."

The clerk, rather confused, tried to say something, hesitated, began to
speak, and again stopped. The prince looked at him gravely.

"I think I understand, Lukian Timofeyovitch: you were not sure that I
should come. You did not think I should start at the first word from
you, and you merely wrote to relieve your conscience. However, you
see now that I have come, and I have had enough of trickery. Give up
serving, or trying to serve, two masters. Rogojin has been here these
three weeks. Have you managed to sell her to him as you did before? Tell
me the truth."

"He discovered everything, the monster... himself......"

"Don't abuse him; though I dare say you have something to complain
of...."

"He beat me, he thrashed me unmercifully!" replied Lebedeff vehemently.
"He set a dog on me in Moscow, a bloodhound, a terrible beast that
chased me all down the street."

"You seem to take me for a child, Lebedeff. Tell me, is it a fact that
she left him while they were in Moscow?"

"Yes, it is a fact, and this time, let me tell you, on the very eve of
their marriage! It was a question of minutes when she slipped off to
Petersburg. She came to me directly she arrived--'Save me, Lukian! find
me some refuge, and say nothing to the prince!' She is afraid of you,
even more than she is of him, and in that she shows her wisdom!" And
Lebedeff slily put his finger to his brow as he said the last words.

"And now it is you who have brought them together again?"

"Excellency, how could I, how could I prevent it?"

"That will do. I can find out for myself. Only tell me, where is she
now? At his house? With him?"

"Oh no! Certainly not! 'I am free,' she says; you know how she insists
on that point. 'I am entire