Chapter 4

           Thetimeappointedwastwelveo’clock,andtheprince,returninghomeunexpectedlylate,foundthegeneralwaitingforhim.Atthefirstglance,hesawthatthelatterwasdispleased,perhapsbecausehehadbeenkeptwaiting.Theprinceapologized,andquicklytookaseat.Heseemedstrangelytimidbeforethegeneralthismorning,forsomereason,andfeltasthoughhisvisitorweresomepieceofchinawhichhewasafraidofbreaking.

           Onscrutinizinghim,theprincesoonsawthatthegeneralwasquiteadifferentmanfromwhathehadbeenthedaybefore;helookedlikeonewhohadcometosomemomentousresolve.Hiscalmness,however,wasmoreapparentthanreal.Hewascourteous,buttherewasasuggestionofinjuredinnocenceinhismanner.

           “I’vebroughtyourbookback,”hebegan,indicatingabooklyingonthetable.“Muchobligedtoyouforlendingittome.”

           “Ah,yes.Well,didyoureadit,general?It’scurious,isn’tit?”saidtheprince,delightedtobeabletoopenupconversationuponanoutsidesubject.

           “Curiousenough,yes,butcrude,andofcoursedreadfulnonsense;probablythemanliesineveryothersentence.”

           Thegeneralspokewithconsiderableconfidence,anddraggedhiswordsoutwithaconceiteddrawl.

           “Oh,butit’sonlythesimpletaleofanoldsoldierwhosawtheFrenchenterMoscow.Someofhisremarkswerewonderfullyinteresting.