folio under his arm, came out talking loudly, and after bidding
good-bye to someone inside, took his departure.

"You there, Gania?" cried a voice from the study, "come in here, will
you?"

Gavrila Ardalionovitch nodded to the prince and entered the room
hastily.

A couple of minutes later the door opened again and the affable voice of
Gania cried:

"Come in please, prince!"

III.

General Ivan Fedorovitch Epanchin was standing In the middle of the
room, and gazed with great curiosity at the prince as he entered. He
even advanced a couple of steps to meet him.

The prince came forward and introduced himself.

"Quite so," replied the general, "and what can I do for you?"

"Oh, I have no special business; my principal object was to make your
acquaintance. I should not like to disturb you. I do not know your times
and arrangements here, you see, but I have only just arrived. I came
straight from the station. I am come direct from Switzerland."

The general very nearly smiled, but thought better of it and kept his
smile back. Then he reflected, blinked his eyes, stared at his guest
once more from head to foot; then abruptly motioned him to a chair, sat
down himself, and waited with some impatience for the prince to speak.

Gania stood at his table in the far corner of the room, turning over
papers.

"I have not much time for making acquaintances, as a rule," said the
general, "but as, of course, you have your object in coming, I--"

"I felt sure you would think I had some object in view when I resolved
to pay you this visit," the prince interrupted; "but I give you my word,
beyond the pleasure of making your acquaintance I had no personal object
whatever."

"The pleasure is, of course, mutual; but life is not all pleasure, as
you are aware. There is such a thing as business, and I really do not
see what possible reason there can be, or what we have in common to--"

"Oh, there is no reason, of course, and I suppose there is nothing in
common between us, or very little; for if I am Prince Muishkin, and your
wife happens to be a member of my house, that can hardly be called a
'reason.' I quite understand that. And yet that was my whole motive for
coming. You see I have not been in Russia for four years, and knew very
little about anything when I left. I had been very ill for a long time,
and I feel now the need of a few good friends. In fact, I have a certain
question upon which I much need advice, and do no