looking with hatred at Sonya.

Exercising his rights as a big boy, and the cleverest, Grisha takes
upon himself to decide. What he wants, that they do. Sonya's reckoning
is slowly and carefully verified, and to the great regret of her
fellow players, it appears that she has not cheated. Another game
is begun.

"I did see something yesterday!" says Anya, as though to herself.
"Filipp Filippitch turned his eyelids inside out somehow and his
eyes looked red and dreadful, like an evil spirit's."

"I saw it too," says Grisha. "Eight! And a boy at our school can
move his ears. Twenty-seven!"

Andrey looks up at Grisha, meditates, and says:

"I can move my ears too. . . ."

"Well then, move them."

Andrey moves his eyes, his lips, and his fingers, and fancies that
his ears are moving too. Everyone laughs.

"He is a horrid man, that Filipp Filippitch," sighs Sonya. "He came
into our nursery yesterday, and I had nothing on but my chemise
. . . And I felt so improper!"

"Game!" Grisha cries suddenly, snatching the money from the saucer.
"I've got the game! You can look and see if you like."

The cook's son looks up and turns pale.

"Then I can't go on playing any more," he whispers.

"Why not?"

"Because . . . because I have got no more money."

"You can't play without money," says Grisha.

Andrey ransacks his pockets once more to make sure. Finding nothing
in them but crumbs and a bitten pencil, he drops the corners of his
mouth and begins blinking miserably. He is on the point of
crying. . . .

"I'll put it down for you!" says Sonya, unable to endure his look
of agony. "Only mind you must pay me back afterwards."

The money is brought and the game goes on.

"I believe they are ringing somewhere," says Anya, opening her eyes
wide.

They all leave off playing and gaze open-mouthed at the dark window.
The reflection of the lamp glimmers in the darkness.

"It was your fancy."

"At night they only ring in the cemetery," says Andrey.

"And what do they ring there for?"

"To prevent robbers from breaking into the church. They are afraid
of the bells."

"And what do robbers break into the church for?" asks Sonya.

"Everyone knows what for: to kill the watchmen."

A minute passes in silence. They all look at one another, shudder,
and go on playing. This time Andrey wins.

"He has cheated," Alyosha booms out, apropos of nothing.

"What a lie, I haven't cheated."

Andrey turns pale, his mouth works,