rld in general.

He had served, at first, in one of the civil departments, had then
attended to matters connected with the local government of provincial
towns, and had of late been a corresponding member of several important
scientific societies. He was a man of excellent family and solid means,
about thirty-five years of age.

Prince S---- made the acquaintance of the general's family, and
Adelaida, the second girl, made a great impression upon him. Towards
the spring he proposed to her, and she accepted him. The general and his
wife were delighted. The journey abroad was put off, and the wedding was
fixed for a day not very distant.

The trip abroad might have been enjoyed later on by Mrs. Epanchin and
her two remaining daughters, but for another circumstance.

It so happened that Prince S---- introduced a distant relation of his
own into the Epanchin family--one Evgenie Pavlovitch, a young officer
of about twenty-eight years of age, whose conquests among the ladies in
Moscow had been proverbial. This young gentleman no sooner set eyes on
Aglaya than he became a frequent visitor at the house. He was witty,
well-educated, and extremely wealthy, as the general very soon
discovered. His past reputation was the only thing against him.

Nothing was said; there were not even any hints dropped; but still, it
seemed better to the parents to say nothing more about going abroad
this season, at all events. Aglaya herself perhaps was of a different
opinion.

All this happened just before the second appearance of our hero upon the
scene.

By this time, to judge from appearances, poor Prince Muishkin had been
quite forgotten in St. Petersburg. If he had appeared suddenly among his
acquaintances, he would have been received as one from the skies; but we
must just glance at one more fact before we conclude this preface.

Colia Ivolgin, for some time after the prince's departure, continued his
old life. That is, he went to school, looked after his father, helped
Varia in the house, and ran her errands, and went frequently to see his
friend, Hippolyte.

The lodgers had disappeared very quickly--Ferdishenko soon after the
events at Nastasia Philipovna's, while the prince went to Moscow, as
we know. Gania and his mother went to live with Varia and Ptitsin
immediately after the latter's wedding, while the general was housed
in a debtor's prison by reason of certain IOU's given to the captain's
widow under the impression that t