R!"

"I'll swear it by whatever you please."

"I believe you. You may kiss me; I breathe freely at last. But you must
know, my dear friend, Aglaya does not love you, and she shall never be
your wife while I am out of my grave. So be warned in time. Do you hear
me?"

"Yes, I hear."

The prince flushed up so much that he could not look her in the face.

"I have waited for you with the greatest impatience (not that you were
worth it). Every night I have drenched my pillow with tears, not for
you, my friend, not for you, don't flatter yourself! I have my own
grief, always the same, always the same. But I'll tell you why I have
been awaiting you so impatiently, because I believe that Providence
itself sent you to be a friend and a brother to me. I haven't a friend
in the world except Princess Bielokonski, and she is growing as stupid
as a sheep from old age. Now then, tell me, yes or no? Do you know why
she called out from her carriage the other night?"

"I give you my word of honour that I had nothing to do with the matter
and know nothing about it."

"Very well, I believe you. I have my own ideas about it. Up to yesterday
morning I thought it was really Evgenie Pavlovitch who was to blame; now
I cannot help agreeing with the others. But why he was made such a fool
of I cannot understand. However, he is not going to marry Aglaya, I can
tell you that. He may be a very excellent fellow, but--so it shall be.
I was not at all sure of accepting him before, but now I have quite made
up my mind that I won't have him. 'Put me in my coffin first and then
into my grave, and then you may marry my daughter to whomsoever you
please,' so I said to the general this very morning. You see how I trust
you, my boy."

"Yes, I see and understand."

Mrs. Epanchin gazed keenly into the prince's eyes. She was anxious to
see what impression the news as to Evgenie Pavlovitch had made upon him.

"Do you know anything about Gavrila Ardalionovitch?" she asked at last.

"Oh yes, I know a good deal."

"Did you know he had communications with Aglaya?"

"No, I didn't," said the prince, trembling a little, and in great
agitation. "You say Gavrila Ardalionovitch has private communications
with Aglaya?--Impossible!"

"Only quite lately. His sister has been working like a rat to clear the
way for him all the winter."

"I don't believe it!" said the prince abruptly, after a short pause.
"Had it been so I should have known long ago."

"Oh, o