“Probably the result of your accident, to-day, uncle! Your nerves got shaken up, you see, and ——” “Ye—yes, I think so, I think so too; and I look on the accident as pro—fitable, on the whole; and therefore I’m going to excuse the coachman. I don’t think it was an at—tempt on my life, after all, do you? Besides, he was punished a little while a—go, when his beard was sh—shaved off!” “Beard shaved off? Why, uncle, his beard is as big as a German state!” “Ye—yes, a German state, you are very happy in your ex—pressions, my boy! but it’s a fa—false one. Fancy what happened: I sent for a price-current for false hair and beards, and found advertisements for splendid ser—vants’ and coachmen’s beards, very cheap—extraordinarily so! I sent for one, and it certainly was a be—auty. But when we wanted to clap it on the coachman, we found he had one of his own t—twice as big; so I thought, shall I cut off his, or let him wear it, and send this one b—back? and I decided to shave his off, and let him wear the f—false one!” “On the theory that art is higher than nature, I suppose uncle?” “Yes, yes! Just so—and I assure you, when we cut off his beard he suffered as much as though we were depriving him of all he held most dear! But we must be go—going, my boy!” “But I hope, dear prince, that you will only call upon the governor!” cried Maria Alexandrovna, in great agitation. “You are _mine_ now, Prince; you belong to _my_ family for the whole of this day! Of course I will say nothing about the society of this place. Perhaps you are thinking of paying Anna Nicolaevna a visit? I will not say a word to dissuade you; but at the same time I am quite convinced that—time will show! Remember one thing, dear Prince, that I am your sister, your nurse, your guardian for to-day at least, and oh!—I tremble for you. You don’t know these people, Prince, as I do! You don’t know them fully: but time will teach you all you do not know.” “Trust me, Maria Alexandrovna!” said Paul, “it shall all be exactly as I have promised you!” “Oh—but you’re such a weathercock! I can never trust _you_! I shall wait for you at dinner time, Prince; we dine early. How sorry I am that my husband happens to be in the country on such an occasion! How happy he would have been to see you! He esteems you so highly, Prince; he is so sincerely attached to you!” “Your husband? dear me! So you have a h—husband, too!” observed the old man. “Oh, prince, prince! how forgetful you are! Why, you have _quite_, quite forgotten the past! My husband, Afanassy Matveyevitch, surely you must remember him? He is in the country: but you have seen him thousands of times before! Don’t you remember—Afanassy Matveyevitch!” “Afanassy Matveyevitch. Dear me!—and in the co—country! how very charming! So you have a husband! dear me, I remember a vaudeville very like that, something about— “The husband’s here, And his wife at Tvere.”