Chapter 7

           WhilehefeastedhiseyesuponAglaya,asshetalkedmerrilywithEvgenieandPrinceN.,suddenlytheoldanglomaniac,whowastalkingtothedignitaryinanothercorneroftheroom,apparentlytellinghimastoryaboutsomethingorother—suddenlythisgentlemanpronouncedthenameof“NicolaiAndreevitchPavlicheff”aloud.Theprincequicklyturnedtowardshim,andlistened.

           Theconversationhadbeenonthesubjectofland,andthepresentdisorders,andtheremusthavebeensomethingamusingsaid,fortheoldmanhadbeguntolaughathiscompanion’sheatedexpressions.

           Thelatterwasdescribingineloquentwordshow,inconsequenceofrecentlegislation,hewasobligedtosellabeautifulestateintheN.province,notbecausehewantedreadymoney—infact,hewasobligedtosellitathalfitsvalue.“ToavoidanotherlawsuitaboutthePavlicheffestate,Iranaway,”hesaid.“WithafewmoreinheritancesofthatkindIshouldsoonberuined!”

           AtthispointGeneralEpanchin,noticinghowinterestedMuishkinhadbecomeintheconversation,saidtohim,inalowtone:

           “Thatgentleman—IvanPetrovitch—isarelationofyourlatefriend,Mr.Pavlicheff.Youwantedtofindsomeofhisrelations,didyounot?”

           Thegeneral,whohadbeentalkingtohischiefuptothismoment,hadobservedtheprince’ssolitudeandsilence,andwasanxioustodrawhimintotheconversation,andsointroducehimagaintothenoticeofsomeoftheimportantpersonages.