so by the fact that the thunder-storm had just
broken, and the rain was coming down in torrents.

And in the semi-darkness the prince distinguished a man standing close
to the stairs, apparently waiting.

There was nothing particularly significant in the fact that a man was
standing back in the doorway, waiting to come out or go upstairs; but
the prince felt an irresistible conviction that he knew this man, and
that it was Rogojin. The man moved on up the stairs; a moment later the
prince passed up them, too. His heart froze within him. "In a minute or
two I shall know all," he thought.

The staircase led to the first and second corridors of the hotel, along
which lay the guests' bedrooms. As is often the case in Petersburg
houses, it was narrow and very dark, and turned around a massive stone
column.

On the first landing, which was as small as the necessary turn of the
stairs allowed, there was a niche in the column, about half a yard wide,
and in this niche the prince felt convinced that a man stood concealed.
He thought he could distinguish a figure standing there. He would pass
by quickly and not look. He took a step forward, but could bear the
uncertainty no longer and turned his head.

The eyes--the same two eyes--met his! The man concealed in the niche had
also taken a step forward. For one second they stood face to face.

Suddenly the prince caught the man by the shoulder and twisted him round
towards the light, so that he might see his face more clearly.

Rogojin's eyes flashed, and a smile of insanity distorted his
countenance. His right hand was raised, and something glittered in it.
The prince did not think of trying to stop it. All he could remember
afterwards was that he seemed to have called out:

"Parfen! I won't believe it."

Next moment something appeared to burst open before him: a wonderful
inner light illuminated his soul. This lasted perhaps half a second, yet
he distinctly remembered hearing the beginning of the wail, the strange,
dreadful wail, which burst from his lips of its own accord, and which no
effort of will on his part could suppress.

Next moment he was absolutely unconscious; black darkness blotted out
everything.

He had fallen in an epileptic fit.

*****

As is well known, these fits occur instantaneously. The face, especially
the eyes, become terribly disfigured, convulsions seize the limbs, a
terrible cry breaks from the sufferer, a wail from which everything