, ravings, more than anything."

However, he drew himself up, stretched out his hand, and began:

"With broken limbs my beauteous queen
Is twice as charming as before,
And, deep in love as I have been,
To-day I love her even more."

"Come, that's enough," said Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch, a wave of his hand.

"I dream of Petersburg," cried Lebyadkin, passing quickly to another
subject, as though there had been no mention of verses. "I dream of
regeneration.... Benefactor! May I reckon that you won't refuse the means
for the journey? I've been waiting for you all the week as my sunshine."

"I'll do nothing of the sort. I've scarcely any money left. And why
should I give you money?"

Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch seemed suddenly angry. Dryly and briefly he
recapitulated all the captain's misdeeds; his drunkenness, his lying,
his squandering of the money meant for Marya Timofyevna, his having
taken her from the nunnery, his insolent letters threatening to publish
the secret, the way he had behaved about Darya Pavlovna, and so on, and
so on. The captain heaved, gesticulated, began to reply, but every time
Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch stopped him peremptorily.

"And listen," he observed at last, "you keep writing about 'family
disgrace.' What disgrace is it to you that your sister is the lawful
wife of a Stavrogin?"

"But marriage in secret, Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch--a fatal secret. I
receive money from you, and I'm suddenly asked the question, 'What's
that money for?' My hands are tied; I cannot answer to the detriment of
my sister, to the detriment of the family honour."

The captain raised his voice. He liked that subject and reckoned boldly
upon it. Alas! he did not realise what a blow was in store for him.

Calmly and exactly, as though he were speaking of the most everyday
arrangement, Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch informed him that in a few days,
perhaps even to-morrow or the day after, he intended to make his
marriage known everywhere, "to the police as well as to local society."
And so the question of family honour would be settled once for all, and
with it the question of subsidy. The captain's eyes were ready to
drop out of his head; he positively could not take it in. It had to be
explained to him.

"But she is... crazy."

"I shall make suitable arrangements."

"But... how about your mother?"

"Well, she must do as she likes."

"But will you take your wife to your house?"

"Perhaps so. But that