he monster
comes every day to inquire after your health?"

"You call him a monster so often that it makes me suspicious."

"You must have no suspicions, none whatever," said Lebedeff quickly. "I
only want you to know that the person in question is not afraid of him,
but of something quite, quite different."

"What on earth is she afraid of, then? Tell me plainly, without any more
beating about the bush," said the prince, exasperated by the other's
mysterious grimaces.

"Ah that is the secret," said Lebedeff, with a smile.

"Whose secret?"

"Yours. You forbade me yourself to mention it before you, most excellent
prince," murmured Lebedeff. Then, satisfied that he had worked up
Muishkin's curiosity to the highest pitch, he added abruptly: "She is
afraid of Aglaya Ivanovna."

The prince frowned for a moment in silence, and then said suddenly:

"Really, Lebedeff, I must leave your house. Where are Gavrila
Ardalionovitch and the Ptitsins? Are they here? Have you chased them
away, too?"

"They are coming, they are coming; and the general as well. I will open
all the doors; I will call all my daughters, all of them, this very
minute," said Lebedeff in a low voice, thoroughly frightened, and waving
his hands as he ran from door to door.

At that moment Colia appeared on the terrace; he announced that
Lizabetha Prokofievna and her three daughters were close behind him.

Moved by this news, Lebedeff hurried up to the prince.

"Shall I call the Ptitsins, and Gavrila Ardalionovitch? Shall I let the
general in?" he asked.

"Why not? Let in anyone who wants to see me. I assure you, Lebedeff, you
have misunderstood my position from the very first; you have been wrong
all along. I have not the slightest reason to hide myself from anyone,"
replied the prince gaily.

Seeing him laugh, Lebedeff thought fit to laugh also, and though much
agitated his satisfaction was quite visible.

Colia was right; the Epanchin ladies were only a few steps behind him.
As they approached the terrace other visitors appeared from Lebedeff's
side of the house-the Ptitsins, Gania, and Ardalion Alexandrovitch.

The Epanchins had only just heard of the prince's illness and of his
presence in Pavlofsk, from Colia; and up to this time had been in a
state of considerable bewilderment about him. The general brought the
prince's card down from town, and Mrs. Epanchin had felt convinced that
he himself would follow his card at once; she was much ex