now that we, you and I, were the lion and the ass of Kryloff's
fable, of course it is understood that I take the role of the ass. Your
excellency is the lion of which the fable remarks:

'A mighty lion, terror of the woods, Was shorn of his great prowess by
old age.'

And I, your excellency, am the ass."

"I am of your opinion on that last point," said Ivan Fedorovitch, with
ill-concealed irritation.

All this was no doubt extremely coarse, and moreover it was
premeditated, but after all Ferdishenko had persuaded everyone to accept
him as a buffoon.

"If I am admitted and tolerated here," he had said one day, "it is
simply because I talk in this way. How can anyone possibly receive
such a man as I am? I quite understand. Now, could I, a Ferdishenko,
be allowed to sit shoulder to shoulder with a clever man like Afanasy
Ivanovitch? There is one explanation, only one. I am given the position
because it is so entirely inconceivable!"

But these vulgarities seemed to please Nastasia Philipovna, although too
often they were both rude and offensive. Those who wished to go to her
house were forced to put up with Ferdishenko. Possibly the latter was
not mistaken in imagining that he was received simply in order to annoy
Totski, who disliked him extremely. Gania also was often made the butt
of the jester's sarcasms, who used this method of keeping in Nastasia
Philipovna's good graces.

"The prince will begin by singing us a fashionable ditty," remarked
Ferdishenko, and looked at the mistress of the house, to see what she
would say.

"I don't think so, Ferdishenko; please be quiet," answered Nastasia
Philipovna dryly.

"A-ah! if he is to be under special patronage, I withdraw my claws."

But Nastasia Philipovna had now risen and advanced to meet the prince.

"I was so sorry to have forgotten to ask you to come, when I saw you,"
she said, "and I am delighted to be able to thank you personally now,
and to express my pleasure at your resolution."

So saying she gazed into his eyes, longing to see whether she could make
any guess as to the explanation of his motive in coming to her house.
The prince would very likely have made some reply to her kind words, but
he was so dazzled by her appearance that he could not speak.

Nastasia noticed this with satisfaction. She was in full dress this
evening; and her appearance was certainly calculated to impress all
beholders. She took his hand and led him towards her other guest