“You are chaffed because you get angry,” he said; “if you try to be jolly instead of sulky you’ll be let alone!” To his surprise these words impressed Pavel deeply; he was quiet at once, and returned to the party with a guilty air, and immediately began to take part in the games engaged in once more. He was not further bullied at present, and within half an hour his good humour seemed quite re-established. To Velchaninoff’s astonishment, however, he never seemed to presume to speak to Nadia, although he kept as close to her, on all occasions, as he possibly could. He seemed to take his position as quite natural, and was not put out by her contemptuous air towards him. Pavel Pavlovitch was teased once more, however, before the evening ended. A game of “Hide-and-seek” was commenced, and Pavel had hidden in a small room in the house. Being observed entering there by someone, he was locked in, and left there raging for an hour. Meanwhile, Velchaninoff learned the “special reason” for Nadia’s joy at his arrival. Maria conducted him to a lonely alley, where Nadia was awaiting him alone. “I have quite convinced myself,” began the latter, when they were left alone, “that you are not nearly so great a friend of Pavel Pavlovitch as he gave us to understand. I have also convinced myself that you alone can perform a certain great service for me. Here is his horrid bracelet” (she drew the case out of her pocket)—“I wish to ask you to be so kind as to return it to him; I cannot do so myself, because I am quite determined never to speak to him again all my life. You can tell him so from me, and better add that he is not to worry me with any more of his nasty presents. I’ll let him know something else I have to say through other channels. Will you do this for me?” “Oh, for goodness sake, spare me!” cried Velchaninoff, almost wringing his hands. “How spare you?” cried poor Nadia. Her artificial tone put on for the occasion had collapsed at once before this check, and she was nearly crying. Velchaninoff burst out laughing. “I don’t mean—I should be delighted, you know—but the thing is, I have my own accounts to settle with him!” “I knew you weren’t his friend, and that he was lying. I shall never marry him—never! You may rely on that! I don’t understand how he could dare—at all events, you really _must_ give him back this horrid bracelet. What am I to do if you don’t? I _must_ have it given back to him this very day. He’ll catch it if he interferes with father about me!” At this moment the spectacled young gentleman issued from the shrubs at their elbow. “You are bound to return the bracelet!” he burst out furiously, upon Velchaninoff, “if only out of respect to the rights of woman——” He did not finish the sentence, for Nadia pulled him away from beside Velchaninoff with all her strength.