ozen to the spot,
his eyes fixed upon him like a rabbit before a boa-constrictor. After
a little pause Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch waved him aside with a slight
motion of his hand, and walked into the drawing-room.

VII

He was cheerful and serene. Perhaps something very pleasant had happened
to him, of which we knew nothing as yet; but he seemed particularly
contented.

"Do you forgive me, Nicolas?" Varvara Petrovna hastened to say, and got
up suddenly to meet him.

But Nicolas positively laughed.

"Just as I thought," he said, good-humouredly and jestingly. "I see you
know all about it already. When I had gone from here I reflected in the
carriage that I ought at least to have told you the story instead of
going off like that. But when I remembered that Pyotr Stepanovitch was
still here, I thought no more of it."

As he spoke he took a cursory look round.

"Pyotr Stepanovitch told us an old Petersburg episode in the life of a
queer fellow," Varvara Petrovna rejoined enthusiastically--"a mad
and capricious fellow, though always lofty in his feelings, always
chivalrous and noble...."

"Chivalrous? You don't mean to say it's come to that," laughed Nicolas.
"However, I'm very grateful to Pyotr Stepanovitch for being in such a
hurry this time." He exchanged a rapid glance with the latter. "You must
know, maman, that Pyotr Stepanovitch is the universal peacemaker; that's
his part in life, his weakness, his hobby, and I particularly recommend
him to you from that point of view. I can guess what a yarn he's
been spinning. He's a great hand at spinning them; he has a perfect
record-office in his head. He's such a realist, you know, that he can't
tell a lie, and prefers truthfulness to effect... except, of course,
in special cases when effect is more important than truth." (As he said
this he was still looking about him.) "So, you see clearly, maman, that
it's not for you to ask my forgiveness, and if there's any craziness
about this affair it's my fault, and it proves that, when all's said and
done, I really am mad.... I must keep up my character here...."

Then he tenderly embraced his mother.

"In any case the subject has been fully discussed and is done with,"
he added, and there was a rather dry and resolute note in his voice.
Varvara Petrovna understood that note, but her exaltation was not
damped, quite the contrary.

"I didn't expect you for another month, Nicolas!"

"I will explain everything to you, mama