What steps am I to take? I am
ready."

"I'll tell you. In the first place he must immediately deliver up the
pistol which he boasted of, with all its appurtenances. If he does
this I shall consent to his being allowed to spend the night in
this house--considering his feeble state of health, and of course
conditionally upon his being under proper supervision. But tomorrow he
must go elsewhere. Excuse me, prince! Should he refuse to deliver up his
weapon, then I shall instantly seize one of his arms and General Ivolgin
the other, and we shall hold him until the police arrive and take the
matter into their own hands. Mr. Ferdishenko will kindly fetch them."

At this there was a dreadful noise; Lebedeff danced about in his
excitement; Ferdishenko prepared to go for the police; Gania frantically
insisted that it was all nonsense, "for nobody was going to shoot
themselves." Evgenie Pavlovitch said nothing.

"Prince," whispered Hippolyte, suddenly, his eyes all ablaze, "you don't
suppose that I did not foresee all this hatred?" He looked at the prince
as though he expected him to reply, for a moment. "Enough!" he added at
length, and addressing the whole company, he cried: "It's all my fault,
gentlemen! Lebedeff, here's the key," (he took out a small bunch of
keys); "this one, the last but one--Colia will show you--Colia, where's
Colia?" he cried, looking straight at Colia and not seeing him. "Yes,
he'll show you; he packed the bag with me this morning. Take him up,
Colia; my bag is upstairs in the prince's study, under the table. Here's
the key, and in the little case you'll find my pistol and the powder,
and all. Colia packed it himself, Mr. Lebedeff; he'll show you; but it's
on condition that tomorrow morning, when I leave for Petersburg, you
will give me back my pistol, do you hear? I do this for the prince's
sake, not yours."

"Capital, that's much better!" cried Lebedeff, and seizing the key he
made off in haste.

Colia stopped a moment as though he wished to say something; but
Lebedeff dragged him away.

Hippolyte looked around at the laughing guests. The prince observed that
his teeth were chattering as though in a violent attack of ague.

"What brutes they all are!" he whispered to the prince. Whenever he
addressed him he lowered his voice.

"Let them alone, you're too weak now--"

"Yes, directly; I'll go away directly. I'll--"

Suddenly he embraced Muishkin.

"Perhaps you think I am mad, eh?" he asked