" said the prince, with gentle humility.

"You hear him! You count upon it, too," she continued, turning upon
Doktorenko. "You are as sure of him now as if you had the money in your
pocket. And there you are playing the swaggerer to throw dust in our
eyes! No, my dear sir, you may take other people in! I can see through
all your airs and graces, I see your game!"

"Lizabetha Prokofievna!" exclaimed the prince.

"Come, Lizabetha Prokofievna, it is quite time for us to be going,
we will take the prince with us," said Prince S. with a smile, in the
coolest possible way.

The girls stood apart, almost frightened; their father was positively
horrified. Mrs. Epanchin's language astonished everybody. Some who stood
a little way off smiled furtively, and talked in whispers. Lebedeff wore
an expression of utmost ecstasy.

"Chaos and scandal are to be found everywhere, madame," remarked
Doktorenko, who was considerably put out of countenance.

"Not like this! Nothing like the spectacle you have just given us, sir,"
answered Lizabetha Prokofievna, with a sort of hysterical rage. "Leave
me alone, will you?" she cried violently to those around her, who were
trying to keep her quiet. "No, Evgenie Pavlovitch, if, as you said
yourself just now, a lawyer said in open court that he found it quite
natural that a man should murder six people because he was in misery,
the world must be coming to an end. I had not heard of it before. Now
I understand everything. And this stutterer, won't he turn out a
murderer?" she cried, pointing to Burdovsky, who was staring at her with
stupefaction. "I bet he will! He will have none of your money, possibly,
he will refuse it because his conscience will not allow him to accept
it, but he will go murdering you by night and walking off with your
cashbox, with a clear conscience! He does not call it a dishonest action
but 'the impulse of a noble despair'; 'a negation'; or the devil knows
what! Bah! everything is upside down, everyone walks head downwards. A
young girl, brought up at home, suddenly jumps into a cab in the
middle of the street, saying: 'Good-bye, mother, I married Karlitch, or
Ivanitch, the other day!' And you think it quite right? You call such
conduct estimable and natural? The 'woman question'? Look here," she
continued, pointing to Colia, "the other day that whippersnapper told
me that this was the whole meaning of the 'woman question.' But even
supposing that your mother is a fool,