little wretch looked at me with a nasty
sort of satisfaction. I know him; you may depend upon it he went and
told mother too, for the pleasure of wounding her. And why doesn't he
die, I should like to know? He undertook to die within three weeks,
and here he is getting fatter. His cough is better, too. It was only
yesterday that he said that was the second day he hadn't coughed blood."

"Well, turn him out!"

"I don't HATE, I despise him," said Gania, grandly. "Well, I do hate
him, if you like!" he added, with a sudden access of rage, "and I'll
tell him so to his face, even when he's dying! If you had but read his
confession--good Lord! what refinement of impudence! Oh, but I'd have
liked to whip him then and there, like a schoolboy, just to see how
surprised he would have been! Now he hates everybody because he--Oh, I
say, what on earth are they doing there! Listen to that noise! I really
can't stand this any longer. Ptitsin!" he cried, as the latter entered
the room, "what in the name of goodness are we coming to? Listen to
that--"

But the noise came rapidly nearer, the door burst open, and old General
Ivolgin, raging, furious, purple-faced, and trembling with anger, rushed
in. He was followed by Nina Alexandrovna, Colia, and behind the rest,
Hippolyte.

II.

HIPPOLYTE had now been five days at the Ptitsins'. His flitting from the
prince's to these new quarters had been brought about quite naturally
and without many words. He did not quarrel with the prince--in fact,
they seemed to part as friends. Gania, who had been hostile enough on
that eventful evening, had himself come to see him a couple of days
later, probably in obedience to some sudden impulse. For some reason or
other, Rogojin too had begun to visit the sick boy. The prince thought
it might be better for him to move away from his (the prince's) house.
Hippolyte informed him, as he took his leave, that Ptitsin "had been
kind enough to offer him a corner," and did not say a word about Gania,
though Gania had procured his invitation, and himself came to fetch him
away. Gania noticed this at the time, and put it to Hippolyte's debit on
account.

Gania was right when he told his sister that Hippolyte was getting
better; that he was better was clear at the first glance. He entered the
room now last of all, deliberately, and with a disagreeable smile on his
lips.

Nina Alexandrovna came in, looking frightened. She had changed much
since we last saw her