nce. The latter accepted
the offer, but did not talk, being unwilling to disturb Gania's work.
He commenced to examine the study and its contents. But Gania hardly
so much as glanced at the papers lying before him; he was absent and
thoughtful, and his smile and general appearance struck the prince still
more disagreeably now that the two were left alone together.

Suddenly Gania approached our hero who was at the moment standing over
Nastasia Philipovna's portrait, gazing at it.

"Do you admire that sort of woman, prince?" he asked, looking intently
at him. He seemed to have some special object in the question.

"It's a wonderful face," said the prince, "and I feel sure that her
destiny is not by any means an ordinary, uneventful one. Her face is
smiling enough, but she must have suffered terribly--hasn't she? Her
eyes show it--those two bones there, the little points under her eyes,
just where the cheek begins. It's a proud face too, terribly proud! And
I--I can't say whether she is good and kind, or not. Oh, if she be but
good! That would make all well!"

"And would you marry a woman like that, now?" continued Gania, never
taking his excited eyes off the prince's face.

"I cannot marry at all," said the latter. "I am an invalid."

"Would Rogojin marry her, do you think?"

"Why not? Certainly he would, I should think. He would marry her
tomorrow!--marry her tomorrow and murder her in a week!"

Hardly had the prince uttered the last word when Gania gave such a
fearful shudder that the prince almost cried out.

"What's the matter?" said he, seizing Gania's hand.

"Your highness! His excellency begs your presence in her excellency's
apartments!" announced the footman, appearing at the door.

The prince immediately followed the man out of the room.

IV.

ALL three of the Miss Epanchins were fine, healthy girls, well-grown,
with good shoulders and busts, and strong--almost masculine--hands;
and, of course, with all the above attributes, they enjoyed capital
appetites, of which they were not in the least ashamed.

Elizabetha Prokofievna sometimes informed the girls that they were
a little too candid in this matter, but in spite of their outward
deference to their mother these three young women, in solemn conclave,
had long agreed to modify the unquestioning obedience which they had
been in the habit of according to her; and Mrs. General Epanchin had
judged it better to say nothing about it, though, of course