ing to-day too?" he cried suddenly in a
quite different, cheerful voice to a very young man, who came up gaily
to greet him. "I didn't know you were going by the express too. Where
are you off to... your mother's?"

The mother of the young man was a very wealthy landowner in a
neighbouring province, and the young man was a distant relation of Yulia
Mihailovna's and had been staying about a fortnight in our town.

"No, I am going farther, to R----. I've eight hours to live through in
the train. Off to Petersburg?" laughed the young man.

"What makes you suppose I must be going to Petersburg?" said Pyotr
Stepanovitch, laughing even more openly.

The young man shook his gloved finger at him.

"Well, you've guessed right," Pyotr Stepanovitch whispered to him
mysteriously. "I am going with letters from Yulia Mihailovna and have to
call on three or four personages, as you can imagine--bother them all,
to speak candidly. It's a beastly job!"

"But why is she in such a panic? Tell me," the young man whispered too.
"She wouldn't see even me yesterday. I don't think she has anything to
fear for her husband, quite the contrary; he fell down so creditably at
the fire--ready to sacrifice his life, so to speak."

"Well, there it is," laughed Pyotr Stepanovitch. "You see, she is
afraid that people may have written from here already... that is, some
gentlemen.... The fact is, Stavrogin is at the bottom of it, or rather
Prince K.... Ech, it's a long story; I'll tell you something about it on
the journey if you like--as far as my chivalrous feelings will allow
me, at least.... This is my relation, Lieutenant Erkel, who lives down
here."

The young man, who had been stealthily glancing at Erkel, touched his
hat; Erkel made a bow.

"But I say, Verhovensky, eight hours in the train is an awful ordeal.
Berestov, the colonel, an awfully funny fellow, is travelling with me in
the first class. He is a neighbour of ours in the country, and his wife
is a Garin (_nee_ de Garine), and you know he is a very decent fellow.
He's got ideas too. He's only been here a couple of days. He's
passionately fond of whist; couldn't we get up a game, eh? I've already
fixed on a fourth--Pripuhlov, our merchant from T----with a beard, a
millionaire--I mean it, a real millionaire; you can take my word for
it.... I'll introduce you; he is a very interesting money-bag. We shall
have a laugh."

"I shall be delighted, and I am awfully fond of cards in the t