ing on his friend:

"Don't!--My God! Are you going to _show_ me your pity?--_Me?_--A
Gregoriev?--Humph!" He broke into an abominable little laugh. "_They_
didn't give me much, Vladimir Vassilyitch! I heard from them
all--Monsieur le Comte first; then my remarkable aunt; finally--finally
from Mademoiselle Dravikine herself. Yes. At the end she came:--not
alone! They led her in, you understand. She didn't look especially
pretty. Her eyes were ridiculously red. Her voice was very husky; but
she had got her part well, and she spoke it to me. Her expression might
have been better; but she'll improve with practice.--There may be other
fools in the world, you know, who haven't realized what a crime it is
not to have ten irreproachably noble grandfathers.

"She--Mademoiselle Dravikine--asked my pardon for her shocking behavior
of the morning. She had made a great mistake, she said. Upon due
consideration, she perceived how impossible it would be to avail herself
of my offer; because, to mention one of many reasons, of our near
relationship. Nevertheless, she thanked me for my generosity in
countenancing her most unwise action; trusted that the reversal of her
reply would cause me no inconvenience; _inconvenience_, Vladimir, do you
hear!--and so wished me good-night!--_That_ was my final
answer!--Afterwards, I had a few more words with the others; but I've
forgotten what they were.--_She_, who let me kiss her, this morning,
twice,--she spoke like _that_, to me!"

"Oh but Ivan,--my dear fellow, they evidently discovered your meeting
this morning, and made her do this--little fool!"

"Oh, they found out about it, certainly.--My aunt saw her come in
alone--without the serf. And it was she, of course--my aunt is a very
strong person, Vladimir--who arranged my charming reception. Dravikine
himself was quite civil to me. I could have stood his refusal of my
offer.--And he looked uncomfortable, too, afterwards, when--his
wife--came down and began to talk. It took her nearly an hour, I
believe, to explain the immensity of my presumption.--I'm so beneath
her, you know, her father being only my grandfather.--And, last of all,
she had the pleasure of showing me what she could do with my--with her
daughter."

"But--but--tell me, have they forbidden you the house?"

"She didn't say so."

"Oh well, then--it'll be easy! You must carry the girl off!"

Ivan gave a violent start; and, for one instant, the cruel mask dropped
from his fac