re abashed. Once let them begin to shout, however, and nothing on
earth should disconcert them.

"What, you here too, prince?" said Rogojin, absently, but a little
surprised all the same "Still in your gaiters, eh?" He sighed, and
forgot the prince next moment, and his wild eyes wandered over to
Nastasia again, as though attracted in that direction by some magnetic
force.

Nastasia looked at the new arrivals with great curiosity. Gania
recollected himself at last.

"Excuse me, sirs," he said, loudly, "but what does all this mean?"
He glared at the advancing crowd generally, but addressed his remarks
especially to their captain, Rogojin. "You are not in a stable,
gentlemen, though you may think it--my mother and sister are present."

"Yes, I see your mother and sister," muttered Rogojin, through his
teeth; and Lebedeff seemed to feel himself called upon to second the
statement.

"At all events, I must request you to step into the salon," said Gania,
his rage rising quite out of proportion to his words, "and then I shall
inquire--"

"What, he doesn't know me!" said Rogojin, showing his teeth
disagreeably. "He doesn't recognize Rogojin!" He did not move an inch,
however.

"I have met you somewhere, I believe, but--"

"Met me somewhere, pfu! Why, it's only three months since I lost two
hundred roubles of my father's money to you, at cards. The old fellow
died before he found out. Ptitsin knows all about it. Why, I've only to
pull out a three-rouble note and show it to you, and you'd crawl on your
hands and knees to the other end of the town for it; that's the sort of
man you are. Why, I've come now, at this moment, to buy you up! Oh, you
needn't think that because I wear these boots I have no money. I have
lots of money, my beauty,--enough to buy up you and all yours together.
So I shall, if I like to! I'll buy you up! I will!" he yelled,
apparently growing more and more intoxicated and excited. "Oh, Nastasia
Philipovna! don't turn me out! Say one word, do! Are you going to marry
this man, or not?"

Rogojin asked his question like a lost soul appealing to some divinity,
with the reckless daring of one appointed to die, who has nothing to
lose.

He awaited the reply in deadly anxiety.

Nastasia Philipovna gazed at him with a haughty, ironical expression of
face; but when she glanced at Nina Alexandrovna and Varia, and from them
to Gania, she changed her tone, all of a sudden.

"Certainly not; what are you th