with the lantern; he raised his fist, but let it fall again at
once.

"I forgive you for your learning! Ignat Lebyadkin--high-ly
ed-u-cated....

'A bomb of love with stinging smart
Exploded in Ignaty's heart.
In anguish dire I weep again
The arm that at Sevastopol
I lost in bitter pain!'

Not that I ever was at Sevastopol, or ever lost my arm, but you know
what rhyme is." He pushed up to me with his ugly, tipsy face.

"He is in a hurry, he is going home!" Liputin tried to persuade him.
"He'll tell Lizaveta Nikolaevna to-morrow."

"Lizaveta!" he yelled again. "Stay, don't go!

A variation:
'Among the Amazons a star,
Upon her steed she flashes by,
And smiles upon me from afar,
The child of aris-to-cra-cy!
To a Starry Amazon.'

You know that's a hymn. It's a hymn, if you're not an ass! The duffers,
they don't understand! Stay!"

He caught hold of my coat, though I pulled myself away with all my
might.

"Tell her I'm a knight and the soul of honour, and as for that Dasha. ..
I'd pick her up and chuck her out.... She's only a serf, she daren't..."

At this point he fell down, for I pulled myself violently out of his
hands and ran into the street. Liputin clung on to me.

"Alexey Nilitch will pick him up. Do you know what I've just found out
from him?" he babbled in desperate haste. "Did you hear his verses? He's
sealed those verses to the 'Starry Amazon' in an envelope and is going
to send them to-morrow to Lizaveta Nikolaevna, signed with his name in
full. What a fellow!"

"I bet you suggested it to him yourself."

"You'll lose your bet," laughed Liputin. "He's in love, in love like a
cat, and do you know it began with hatred. He hated Lizaveta Nikolaevna
at first so much, for riding on horseback that he almost swore aloud at
her in the street. Yes, he did abuse her! Only the day before yesterday
he swore at her when she rode by--luckily she didn't hear. And,
suddenly, to-day--poetry! Do you know he means to risk a proposal?
Seriously! Seriously!"

"I wonder at you, Liputin; whenever there's anything nasty going on
you're always on the spot taking a leading part in it," I said angrily.

"You're going rather far, Mr. G----v. Isn't your poor little
heart quaking, perhaps, in terror of a rival?"

"Wha-at!" I cried, standing still.

"Well, now to punish you I won't say anything more, and wouldn't you
like to know though? Take this alone, that tha