h, aren't you ashamed of yourself--aren't you ashamed? Are you really
the sort of woman you are trying to represent yourself to be? Is
it possible?" The prince was now addressing Nastasia, in a tone of
reproach, which evidently came from his very heart.

Nastasia Philipovna looked surprised, and smiled, but evidently
concealed something beneath her smile and with some confusion and a
glance at Gania she left the room.

However, she had not reached the outer hall when she turned round,
walked quickly up to Nina Alexandrovna, seized her hand and lifted it to
her lips.

"He guessed quite right. I am not that sort of woman," she whispered
hurriedly, flushing red all over. Then she turned again and left the
room so quickly that no one could imagine what she had come back for.
All they saw was that she said something to Nina Alexandrovna in a
hurried whisper, and seemed to kiss her hand. Varia, however, both saw
and heard all, and watched Nastasia out of the room with an expression
of wonder.

Gania recollected himself in time to rush after her in order to show her
out, but she had gone. He followed her to the stairs.

"Don't come with me," she cried, "Au revoir, till the evening--do you
hear? Au revoir!"

He returned thoughtful and confused; the riddle lay heavier than ever on
his soul. He was troubled about the prince, too, and so bewildered that
he did not even observe Rogojin's rowdy band crowd past him and step on
his toes, at the door as they went out. They were all talking at once.
Rogojin went ahead of the others, talking to Ptitsin, and apparently
insisting vehemently upon something very important.

"You've lost the game, Gania" he cried, as he passed the latter.

Gania gazed after him uneasily, but said nothing.

XI.

THE prince now left the room and shut himself up in his own chamber.
Colia followed him almost at once, anxious to do what he could to
console him. The poor boy seemed to be already so attached to him that
he could hardly leave him.

"You were quite right to go away!" he said. "The row will rage there
worse than ever now; and it's like this every day with us--and all
through that Nastasia Philipovna."

"You have so many sources of trouble here, Colia," said the prince.

"Yes, indeed, and it is all our own fault. But I have a great friend who
is much worse off even than we are. Would you like to know him?"

"Yes, very much. Is he one of your school-fellows?"

"Well, not exactly. I wil