d mattress, or off a door; it's used to keep the cold
out. Well, when you have pushed the felt down, put the bullet in; do you
hear now? The bullet last and the powder first, not the other way, or
the pistol won't shoot. What are you laughing at? I wish you to buy
a pistol and practise every day, and you must learn to hit a mark for
CERTAIN; will you?"

The prince only laughed. Aglaya stamped her foot with annoyance.

Her serious air, however, during this conversation had surprised him
considerably. He had a feeling that he ought to be asking her something,
that there was something he wanted to find out far more important than
how to load a pistol; but his thoughts had all scattered, and he was
only aware that she was sitting by, him, and talking to him, and that
he was looking at her; as to what she happened to be saying to him, that
did not matter in the least.

The general now appeared on the verandah, coming from upstairs. He was
on his way out, with an expression of determination on his face, and of
preoccupation and worry also.

"Ah! Lef Nicolaievitch, it's you, is it? Where are you off to now?" he
asked, oblivious of the fact that the prince had not showed the least
sign of moving. "Come along with me; I want to say a word or two to
you."

"Au revoir, then!" said Aglaya, holding out her hand to the prince.

It was quite dark now, and Muishkin could not see her face clearly, but
a minute or two later, when he and the general had left the villa, he
suddenly flushed up, and squeezed his right hand tightly.

It appeared that he and the general were going in the same direction. In
spite of the lateness of the hour, the general was hurrying away to talk
to someone upon some important subject. Meanwhile he talked incessantly
but disconnectedly to the prince, and continually brought in the name of
Lizabetha Prokofievna.

If the prince had been in a condition to pay more attention to what
the general was saying, he would have discovered that the latter was
desirous of drawing some information out of him, or indeed of asking him
some question outright; but that he could not make up his mind to come
to the point.

Muishkin was so absent, that from the very first he could not attend
to a word the other was saying; and when the general suddenly stopped
before him with some excited question, he was obliged to confess,
ignominiously, that he did not know in the least what he had been
talking about.

The general shr