“Yes, dear prince, you must look after your health. There are such good doctors abroad; and—besides, the mere change of life, what will not that alone do for you! You _must_ desert your dear Donchanovo, if only for a time!” “C—certainly, certainly! I’ve long meant to do it. I’m going to try hy—hydropathy!” “Hydropathy?” “Yes. I’ve tried it once before: I was abroad, you know, and they persuaded me to try drinking the wa—waters. There wasn’t anything the matter with me, but I agreed, just out of deli—delicacy for their feelings; and I did seem to feel easier, somehow. So I drank, and drank, and dra—ank up a whole waterfall; and I assure you if I hadn’t fallen ill just then I should have been quite well, th—thanks to the water! But, I confess, you’ve frightened me so about these ma—maladies and things, I feel quite put out. I’ll come back d—directly!” “Why, prince, where are you off to?” asked Maria Alexandrovna in surprise. “Directly, directly. I’m just going to note down an i—idea!” “What sort of idea?” cried Paul, bursting with laughter. Maria Alexandrovna lost all patience. “I cannot understand what you find to laugh at!” she cried, as the old man disappeared; “to laugh at an honourable old man, and turn every word of his into ridicule—presuming on his angelic good nature. I assure you I _blushed_ for you, Paul Alexandrovitch! Why, what do you see in him to laugh at? I never saw anything funny about him!” “Well, I laugh because he does not recognise people, and talks such nonsense!” “That’s simply the result of his sad life, of his dreadful five years’ captivity, under the guardianship of that she-devil! You should _pity_, not laugh at him! He did not even know _me_; you saw it yourself. I tell you it’s a crying shame; he must be saved, at all costs! I recommend him to go abroad so that he may get out of the clutches of that—beast of a woman!” “Do you know what—we must find him a wife!” cried Paul. “Oh, Mr. Mosgliakoff, you are too bad; you really are too bad!” “No, no, Maria Alexandrovna; I assure you, this time I’m speaking in all seriousness. Why _not_ marry him off? Isn’t it rather a brilliant idea? What harm can marriage do him? On the contrary, he is in that position that such a step alone can save him! In the first place, he will get rid of that fox of a woman; and, secondly, he may find some girl, or better still some widow—kind, good, wise and gentle, and poor, who will look after him as his own daughter would, and who will be sensible of the honour he does her in making her his wife! And what could be better for the old fellow than to have such a person about him, rather than the—woman he has now? Of course she must be nice-looking, for uncle appreciates good looks; didn’t you observe how he stared at Miss Zina?” “But how will you find him such a bride?” asked Nastasia Petrovna, who had listened intently to Paul’s suggestion.