Chapter 2

           TheprincesuddenlyapproachedEvgeniePavlovitch.

           “EvgeniePavlovitch,”hesaid,withstrangeexcitementandseizingthelatter’shandinhisown,“beassuredthatIesteemyouasagenerousandhonourableman,inspiteofeverything.Beassuredofthat.”

           EvgeniePavlovitchfellbackastepinastonishment.Foronemomentitwasallhecoulddotorestrainhimselffromburstingoutlaughing;but,lookingcloser,heobservedthattheprincedidnotseemtobequitehimself;atallevents,hewasinaverycuriousstate.

           “Iwouldn’tmindbetting,prince,”hecried,“thatyoudidnotintheleastmeantosaythat,andverylikelyyoumeanttoaddresssomeoneelsealtogether.Whatisit?Areyoufeelingunwelloranything?”

           “Verylikely,extremelylikely,andyoumustbeaverycloseobservertodetectthefactthatperhapsIdidnotintendtocomeuptoyouatall.”

           Sosayinghesmiledstrangely;butsuddenlyandexcitedlyhebeganagain:

           “Don’tremindmeofwhatIhavedoneorsaid.Don’t!Iamverymuchashamedofmyself,I—”

           “Why,whathaveyoudone?Idon’tunderstandyou.”

           “Iseeyouareashamedofme,EvgeniePavlovitch;youareblushingforme;that’sasignofagoodheart.Don’tbeafraid;Ishallgoawaydirectly.”

           “What’sthematterwithhim?Dohisfitsbeginlikethat?”saidLizabethaProkofievna,inahighstateofalarm,addressingColia.