e the whole household, you low, base
wretch?" cried Varia, looking back at her brother with proud defiance.

A few moments passed as they stood there face to face, Gania still
holding her wrist tightly. Varia struggled once--twice--to get free;
then could restrain herself no longer, and spat in his face.

"There's a girl for you!" cried Nastasia Philipovna. "Mr. Ptitsin, I
congratulate you on your choice."

Gania lost his head. Forgetful of everything he aimed a blow at Varia,
which would inevitably have laid her low, but suddenly another hand
caught his. Between him and Varia stood the prince.

"Enough--enough!" said the latter, with insistence, but all of a tremble
with excitement.

"Are you going to cross my path for ever, damn you!" cried Gania; and,
loosening his hold on Varia, he slapped the prince's face with all his
force.

Exclamations of horror arose on all sides. The prince grew pale as
death; he gazed into Gania's eyes with a strange, wild, reproachful
look; his lips trembled and vainly endeavoured to form some words; then
his mouth twisted into an incongruous smile.

"Very well--never mind about me; but I shall not allow you to strike
her!" he said, at last, quietly. Then, suddenly, he could bear it no
longer, and covering his face with his hands, turned to the wall, and
murmured in broken accents:

"Oh! how ashamed you will be of this afterwards!"

Gania certainly did look dreadfully abashed. Colia rushed up to comfort
the prince, and after him crowded Varia, Rogojin and all, even the
general.

"It's nothing, it's nothing!" said the prince, and again he wore the
smile which was so inconsistent with the circumstances.

"Yes, he will be ashamed!" cried Rogojin. "You will be properly ashamed
of yourself for having injured such a--such a sheep" (he could not find
a better word). "Prince, my dear fellow, leave this and come away with
me. I'll show you how Rogojin shows his affection for his friends."

Nastasia Philipovna was also much impressed, both with Gania's action
and with the prince's reply.

Her usually thoughtful, pale face, which all this while had been so
little in harmony with the jests and laughter which she had seemed to
put on for the occasion, was now evidently agitated by new feelings,
though she tried to conceal the fact and to look as though she were as
ready as ever for jesting and irony.

"I really think I must have seen him somewhere!" she murmured seriously
enough.

"O