"Police!" cried the telegraph official. Kirik turned round at the cry, then suddenly ran at Ilya headlong. Ilya stretched out his arms and pushed him away as he came, shouting roughly, "Where are you coming?--you're too impatient. I can send you flying with one blow. Listen--all of you--listen, you'll hear the truth for once." Kirik paid no attention, but bent his head forward and attacked again. The guests looked on silently; no one moved except Travkin, who went quietly on tiptoe into a corner, sat down on the seat by the stove and put his clasped hands between his knees. "Look out. I'll hit you!" Ilya warned the furious Kirik. "I've no wish to hurt you--you're a stupid ass, but you never did me any harm--get away." He pushed Kirik off again, this time more forcibly, and got his own back against the wall. Here he stood and began to speak, his eyes travelling over the company. "Your wife threw herself into my arms. Oh, she's clever--but vicious! In the whole world there's no one worse. But all of you--all are vicious and degraded. I was in the court to-day--there I learnt to judge." He had so much to say, that he was in no condition to arrange his thoughts, and hurled them like fragments of rock. "But I will not condemn Tanya--it just happened so--just of itself--as long as I've lived, everything seems to happen of itself--as if by accident. I strangled a man by accident. I didn't mean to, but I strangled him--and think, Tanyka--the money I stole from him is the money that helps to carry on our business!" "He's mad," cried Kirik in sudden joy, and sprang round the room from one to the other, crying with joy and excitement. "D'you hear? d'you see? he's out of his mind! Ah, Ilya--oh you--how you hurt me!" Ilya laughed aloud; his heart was easier and lighter now that he had spoken of the murder. He hardly felt the floor under his feet, and seemed to rise higher and higher. Broad-shouldered and sturdy, he stood there before them all with head erect, and chest thrown out. His black curls framed his high pale brow and temples, and his eyes were full of scorn and malice. Tatiana got up, tottered to Felizata Yegarovna, and said in a trembling voice: "I've seen it coming on--a long time--his eyes have looked so wild and terrible for ever so long." "If he's mad, we must call the police," said Felizata, looking in Ilya's face. "Mad? of course he's mad!" cried Kirik. "He may attack us all," whispered Gryslov, and looked anxiously round the room. All were afraid to move. Lunev stood close to the door, and whoever wanted to go out had to pass him. He laughed again; he loved to see how these people feared him, and when he looked at their faces, he saw that they had no compassion for their hosts, and would have listened all night, while he held them up to scorn, had they not themselves been afraid of him.