have heard if he had lost anything; it would have tinkled on the ground; of course he would have picked it up ! where could one lose anything here ? There is nowhere ! Lost something ! He didn't lose anything ; was he likely to have lost something? lose anything—I daresay! no; he'd be more likely, you depend upon it, to find a way of putting things in his pocket instead of losing them! I know them, the pickpockets! lost indeed ! where did he lose it?'
And they spent a long time crawling on the ground, looking for the lost money.
' No, no,' said the porter at last with a sigh, then he put out the light, and pinching the wick with two fingers wiped them on his coat
CHAPTER VI.
That evening at twelve o'clock, when Piotr Ivanitch, with a candle and book in one hand, while he held his dressing-gown off the ground with the other, went from his study into his bedroom to go to bed, his valet informed him that Alexandr Fedoritch wished to see him.
Piotr Ivanitch knitted his brows, thought a minute, and then said calmly: ' Take him into the study; I will come at once/'
Returning there, he greeted his nephew with ' Good evening, Alexandr, it's a long time since we have seen you. We have given up expecting you by day, and here all at once you burst on us at night! Why so late ? But what's wrong with you ? you are quite pale.'
Without answering a. iVoi'cT, Alexandr sat down in an armchair in extreme exhaustion. Piotr Ivanitch looked at him with curiosity.
Alexandr sighed.
' Are you well ? ' asked Piotr Ivanitch, anxiously.
' Yes,' replied Alexandr in a feeble voice, ' I move, I eat, I drink, and therefore I am well.'
' Don't make light of it though; consult a doctor.'
' Other people have already given me that advice, but no doctors or opodeldocs can be of use to me; my disease is not physical.'
' What is the matter with you ? You haven't been gambling, or lost money ? ' asked Piotr Ivanitch with lively interest
'You can never imagine trouble apart from money matters I' replied Alexandr, trying to smile.
' What is the trouble then ? Everything is all right at your home—I know that from the letters to which your mother treats me every month; at the office nothing can be
worse than it was; then come trifling matters—love, I suppose.'
' Yes, love; but do you know what has happened ? when you know you will be horrified.'
' Tell me; it's a long while since I've been horrified,' said his uncle, taking a seat; ' however, it's not difficult to conjecture; no doubt, they have deceived you '
11 You can reason so calmly, uncle, while I ' said
Alexandr, ' am suffering in earnest; I am wretched, I am really ill.'
' Is it possible that you have grown so thin thro ugh love ? What a disgraceful thing ! No, yuiTTiave been iH,'and iTo'W you are beginning to recover; and it's high time ! Seriously, this folly had been dragging on for a year and a half. A little longer, and upon my word, I should have begun to believe in eternal and unchanging love.'
' Uncle !' said Alexandr, ' have pity on me; there is a hell now in my heart.'
' Eh ? what then ? '
Alexandr drew his armchair up to the table and his uncle began to move away from his nephew's proximity the inkstand, the paper-weights, &c.
' He comes at midnight,' he thought, ' hell in his heart; he'll infallibly smash something.'
' Sympathy I don't get from you, and I don't ask it,' began Alexandr; 'I ask for your help, as my uncle, my relation I seem foolish to you—isn't it so ? '
' Yes, you would, if you were not to be pitied.'
' You feel pity for me ? '
'Great pity. Do you suppose I am a flint? A good, clever, well brought-up boy, throwing himself away and what for ? a mere trifle.'
' Show me that you feel for me.'
' In what way ? Money, you say, you don't want.'
' Money ! oh, if my trouble had been only from want of money, how I would have blessed my fate !'
' Don't speak so,' observed Piotr Ivanitch seriously; 'you are a boy—you would curse and not bless your fate! I have cursed it more than once in bygone days— even I!'
' Give me a patient hearing.'
' Shall you be staying long ? ' asked his uncle.
' Yes, I want all your attention; why ? '
' So as to know whether we shall want to have supper. As a rule I am in the habit of going to bed without supper; but now, since we shall be sitting up a long while, we will have a little, and will drink a bottle of wine, and meantime you tell me everything.'
'You can eat supper?' asked Alexandr in amazement
' Yes, indeed I can ; and won't you ? '
' I—supper ! why, even you will not be able to swallow a morsel when you know that it is a matter of life and death.'
' Of life and death ? ' repeated his uncle; ' well, that is certainly a grave matter; however, we will try; perhaps we shall manage to swallow some.'
He rang the bell.
' Bring in,' he said to the valet who appeared, ' whatever there is for supper, and tell them to fetch a bottle of Lafitte with a green seal.'
The valet disappeared.
' Uncle! you are not in a suitable frame of mind to listen to the sad story of my unhappiness,' said Alexandr, taking his hat: ' I had better come to-morrow.'
' No, no, not at all,' interrupted Piotr Ivanitch briskly, keeping his nephew by the hand, ' I am always in the same frame of mind. To-morrow—not a doubt of it—you will break in upon breakfast, or worse still—on business. It would be far better to have it all over at once. Supper will not hinder matters. I shall hear and understand all the better. On an empty stomach, you know, it's not well '
They brought in supper.
' Now, Alexandr; let me ' said Piotr Ivanitch.
' No, I don't want anything to eat, uncle!' said Alexandr impatiently, shrugging his shoulders, as he saw his uncle busying himself over the supper.
' At least drink a glass of wine; it's not bad wine!'
Alexandr shook his head in refusal.
' Well, then, take a cigar and tell your story, and I will be all ears,' said Piotr Ivanitch, setting briskly to work upon his supper.
' Do you know C ount N ovinsky ? ' asked Alexandr, after a short pause.
1
' Count Platon ? '
' Yes.'
' We are friends; why ? '
' I congratulate you on such a friend—he's a scoundrel!'
Piotr Ivanitch at once ceased munching and gazed in surprise at his nephew.
11 What a discovery !' he said; ' do you know him ? '
' Very well.'
' Have you known him long ? '
' Three months.'
' How is that ? I have known him for five years, and always considered him an honourable man, and indeed you
will not hear from any one All praise him, but you run
him down.'