Chapter 5

           Hippolyte,whohadfallenasleepduringLebedeff’sdiscourse,nowsuddenlywokeup,justasthoughsomeonehadjoggedhimintheside.Heshuddered,raisedhimselfonhisarm,gazedaround,andgrewverypale.Alookalmostofterrorcrossedhisfaceasherecollected.

           “What!aretheyalloff?Isitallover?Isthesunup?”Hetrembled,andcaughtattheprince’shand.“Whattimeisit?Tellme,quick,forgoodness’sake!HowlonghaveIslept?”headded,almostindespair,justasthoughhehadoversleptsomethinguponwhichhiswholefatedepended.

           “Youhavesleptsevenorperhapseightminutes,”saidEvgeniePavlovitch.

           Hippolytegazedeagerlyatthelatter,andmusedforafewmoments.

           “Oh,isthatall?”hesaidatlast.“ThenI—”

           Hedrewalong,deepbreathofrelief,asitseemed.Herealizedthatallwasnotoverasyet,thatthesunhadnotrisen,andthattheguestshadmerelygonetosupper.Hesmiled,andtwohecticspotsappearedonhischeeks.

           “SoyoucountedtheminuteswhileIslept,didyou,EvgeniePavlovitch?”hesaid,ironically.“Youhavenottakenyoureyesoffmealltheevening—Ihavenoticedthatmuch,yousee!Ah,Rogojin!I’vejustbeendreamingabouthim,prince,”headded,frowning.