o had the advantage of special teachers--his relations and servants
grew to believe that you were his son, and that your father had been
betrayed by his wife. I may point out that this idea was only accredited
generally during the last years of Pavlicheff's life, when his
next-of-kin were trembling about the succession, when the earlier story
was quite forgotten, and when all opportunity for discovering the truth
had seemingly passed away. No doubt you, Mr. Burdovsky, heard this
conjecture, and did not hesitate to accept it as true. I have had the
honour of making your mother's acquaintance, and I find that she knows
all about these reports. What she does not know is that you, her son,
should have listened to them so complaisantly. I found your respected
mother at Pskoff, ill and in deep poverty, as she has been ever since
the death of your benefactor. She told me with tears of gratitude how
you had supported her; she expects much of you, and believes fervently
in your future success..."

"Oh, this is unbearable!" said Lebedeff's nephew impatiently. "What is
the good of all this romancing?"

"It is revolting and unseemly!" cried Hippolyte, jumping up in a fury.

Burdovsky alone sat silent and motionless.

"What is the good of it?" repeated Gavrila Ardalionovitch, with
pretended surprise. "Well, firstly, because now perhaps Mr. Burdovsky
is quite convinced that Mr. Pavlicheff's love for him came simply from
generosity of soul, and not from paternal duty. It was most necessary
to impress this fact upon his mind, considering that he approved of the
article written by Mr. Keller. I speak thus because I look on you, Mr.
Burdovsky, as an honourable man. Secondly, it appears that there was no
intention of cheating in this case, even on the part of Tchebaroff. I
wish to say this quite plainly, because the prince hinted a while
ago that I too thought it an attempt at robbery and extortion. On the
contrary, everyone has been quite sincere in the matter, and although
Tchebaroff may be somewhat of a rogue, in this business he has acted
simply as any sharp lawyer would do under the circumstances. He looked
at it as a case that might bring him in a lot of money, and he did not
calculate badly; because on the one hand he speculated on the generosity
of the prince, and his gratitude to the late Mr. Pavlicheff, and on
the other to his chivalrous ideas as to the obligations of honour and
conscience. As to Mr. Burdovsky, allowing for h