ular prodigal son, that is what
you are."

"After wasting his father's substance in riotous living," said
Father Andrey slowly, with laughing eyes. "He fed with senseless
beasts."

"I like my dad," said Andrey Andreitch, touching his father on the
shoulder. "He is a splendid old fellow, a dear old fellow."

Everyone was silent for a space. Sasha suddenly burst out laughing
and put his dinner napkin to his mouth.

"So you believe in hypnotism?" said Father Andrey to Nina Ivanovna.

"I cannot, of course, assert that I believe," answered Nina Ivanovna,
assuming a very serious, even severe, expression; "but I must own
that there is much that is mysterious and incomprehensible in
nature."

"I quite agree with you, though I must add that religion distinctly
curtails for us the domain of the mysterious."

A big and very fat turkey was served. Father Andrey and Nina Ivanovna
went on with their conversation. Nina Ivanovna's diamonds glittered
on her fingers, then tears began to glitter in her eyes, she grew
excited.

"Though I cannot venture to argue with you," she said, "you must
admit there are so many insoluble riddles in life!"

"Not one, I assure you."

After supper Andrey Andreitch played the fiddle and Nina Ivanovna
accompanied him on the piano. Ten years before he had taken his
degree at the university in the Faculty of Arts, but had never held
any post, had no definite work, and only from time to time took
part in concerts for charitable objects; and in the town he was
regarded as a musician.

Andrey Andreitch played; they all listened in silence. The samovar
was boiling quietly on the table and no one but Sasha was drinking
tea. Then when it struck twelve a violin string suddenly broke;
everyone laughed, bustled about, and began saying good-bye.

After seeing her fiance out, Nadya went upstairs where she and her
mother had their rooms (the lower storey was occupied by the
grandmother). They began putting the lights out below in the
dining-room, while Sasha still sat on drinking tea. He always spent
a long time over tea in the Moscow style, drinking as much as seven
glasses at a time. For a long time after Nadya had undressed and
gone to bed she could hear the servants clearing away downstairs
and Granny talking angrily. At last everything was hushed, and
nothing could be heard but Sasha from time to time coughing on a
bass note in his room below.

II

When Nadya woke up it must have been two o'cloc