his sister was waiting at
Lebedeff's to consult him on an urgent matter of business. If he had
anticipated impatient questions, or impulsive confidences, he was
soon undeceived. The prince was thoughtful, reserved, even a little
absent-minded, and asked none of the questions--one in particular--that
Gania had expected. So he imitated the prince's demeanour, and talked
fast and brilliantly upon all subjects but the one on which their
thoughts were engaged. Among other things Gania told his host that
Nastasia Philipovna had been only four days in Pavlofsk, and that
everyone was talking about her already. She was staying with Daria
Alexeyevna, in an ugly little house in Mattrossky Street, but drove
about in the smartest carriage in the place. A crowd of followers
had pursued her from the first, young and old. Some escorted her on
horse-back when she took the air in her carriage.

She was as capricious as ever in the choice of her acquaintances, and
admitted few into her narrow circle. Yet she already had a numerous
following and many champions on whom she could depend in time of need.
One gentleman on his holiday had broken off his engagement on her
account, and an old general had quarrelled with his only son for the
same reason.

She was accompanied sometimes in her carriage by a girl of sixteen,
a distant relative of her hostess. This young lady sang very well; in
fact, her music had given a kind of notoriety to their little house.
Nastasia, however, was behaving with great discretion on the whole. She
dressed quietly, though with such taste as to drive all the ladies
in Pavlofsk mad with envy, of that, as well as of her beauty and her
carriage and horses.

"As for yesterday's episode," continued Gania, "of course it was
pre-arranged." Here he paused, as though expecting to be asked how
he knew that. But the prince did not inquire. Concerning Evgenie
Pavlovitch, Gania stated, without being asked, that he believed the
former had not known Nastasia Philipovna in past years, but that he had
probably been introduced to her by somebody in the park during these
four days. As to the question of the IOU's she had spoken of, there
might easily be something in that; for though Evgenie was undoubtedly
a man of wealth, yet certain of his affairs were equally undoubtedly in
disorder. Arrived at this interesting point, Gania suddenly broke off,
and said no more about Nastasia's prank of the previous evening.

At last Varvara Ard