Chapter 3

           Itwasnowcloseontwelveo’clock.

           TheprinceknewthatifhecalledattheEpanchins’nowhewouldonlyfindthegeneral,andthatthelattermightprobablycarryhimstraightofftoPavlofskwithhim;whereastherewasonevisithewasmostanxioustomakewithoutdelay.

           SoattheriskofmissingGeneralEpanchinaltogether,andthuspostponinghisvisittoPavlofskforaday,atleast,theprincedecidedtogoandlookforthehousehedesiredtofind.

           Thevisithewasabouttopaywas,insomerespects,ariskyone.Hewasintwomindsaboutit,butknowingthatthehousewasintheGorohovaya,notfarfromtheSadovaya,hedeterminedtogointhatdirection,andtotrytomakeuphismindontheway.

           ArrivedatthepointwheretheGorohovayacrossestheSadovaya,hewassurprisedtofindhowexcessivelyagitatedhewas.Hehadnoideathathisheartcouldbeatsopainfully.

           OnehouseintheGorohovayabegantoattracthisattentionlongbeforehereachedit,andtheprincerememberedafterwardsthathehadsaidtohimself:“Thatisthehouse,I’msureofit.”Hecameuptoitquitecurioustodiscoverwhetherhehadguessedright,andfeltthathewouldbedisagreeablyimpressedtofindthathehadactuallydoneso.Thehousewasalargegloomy-lookingstructure,withouttheslightestclaimtoarchitecturalbeauty,incolouradirtygreen.Thereareafewoftheseoldhouses,builttowardstheendofthelastcentury,stillstandinginthatpartofSt.