anxious
to see you for some time.
But you would very much like to know
how l came to meet
Aglaya lvanovna this morning?
Well, l did want to!
l'm not afraid of speaking plainly.
To be sure, you're her mother.
Aglaya lvanovna
let me know by note yesterday
that she wanted to talk of
an important matter.
We met and had been talking
for a whole hour
of matters that only concerned
Aglaya lvanovna.
That's all.
That's all.
Of course it's all, my good sir,
and without a shadow of doubt.
Capital, prince!
l thank you with all my heart for
not believing that
l would condescend to lie about it.
ls that enough, maman,
or do you intend to cross-examine him further?
l have never yet had to blush
for anything before you.
Though you would perhaps be glad if l had.
Goodbye, prince,
forgive me for having troubled you.
l hope you will remain convinced
of my unchanged respect for you.
The prince made such magnificent bows,
sometimes he's so clumsy,
But he was suddenly like Evgenie Pavlovitch.
Delicacy and dignity are taught by the heart
and not by the dancing-master.
- Oh, good morning, Vera.
- Good morning, prince.
You didn't sleep today.
Your eyes are so nice
at this moment.
They look happy.
Do they really?
Well, what an adventure!
What do you think of Hippolyte now?
- Have you no respect for him?
-Why not?
Colia, l'm tired.
- How is he, though?
- He's asleep.
He's asleep and won't wake up for another two hours.
Burdovsky, Keller, Ferdishenko and l
slept in Lebedef's part of hose.
l was surprised at the general,
about 7 am I met him.
''How is the invalid?
How's he?''
- Oh, thanks.
- l reported.
''That's all right'', he said, ''but really
l got up for was to warn you.
l've reasons for supposing
that one can't say everything before Mr.Ferdishenko
and one must be on
one's guard.
Do you understand, prince?
Really?
But it dosen't matter for us.
We are not masons!
So l felt surprised at the general's
getting up on purpose in the night.
Well, l'm off!
Only do you know,
l'm amazed at his confession.
There's a gigantic thought in it.
Here are the letters.
She's been beseeching me
to marry you.
Only for a moment,
much honoured prince,
On a matter of great
consequence to me.
Why are you so dignified, Lebedev?
l've  countered a serve calamity,
respected prince,
last night or this morning at daybreak;
l hesitate to determine the precise hour.
What is it?
l've lost four hundred roubles
from my coat-pocket,
much honoured prince.
-You've lost four hundred roubles?
-Yes.
- How did it happen?
- The fruits of drinking.
When Keller came in late and announced
your birthday,
l was already in an over-elevated condition,
and in expectation of congratulating you,
by going to change my
old house-coat
on the uniform.
Changing my attrie,
l forgot my pocket-book in the coat-pocket.
So true it is that when God will chastise, a man,
He first of all deprives him of his reason.
And only this morning, on waking up,
l snatched first thing at my coat.
The pocket was empty.
The pocket-book had vanished!
That's unpleasant!
Unpleasant indeed.
And with true tact you have at once
found the right word for it.
Ach, don't go on, Lukian Timofeyovitch.
Do you think you could have dropped it
out of your pocket when you were drunk?'
l might have.
Anything may happen when one is drunk
as you so sincerely express it,
much honoured prince.
But l beg you to consider.
lf l had dropped the pocket-book out of my pocket
when l changed my coat,
dropped thing
would have been on the floor.
Where's that thing?
Then someone must have found it on the floor?
Or pick it out of my pocket!
- Two alternatives.
- This distress me very much.
So, that's...
For who?
Yes? That's the question.
you find the very word,
and you define the position,
most illustrious prince.
Enough, Lebedef. So why?
Give over scoffing,
this...
Scoffing!
Well, don't be angry.
l'm afraid for people.