“Yes, but don’t you be afraid, Zina! I’ll give you my word I’ll work him so that he shall help us himself. You don’t know me yet, my Zina. My child, when I heard about this old prince having arrived this morning, the idea, as it were, shone out all at once in my brain! Who would have thought of his really coming to us like this! It is a chance such as you might wait for a thousand years in vain. Zina, my angel! there’s no shame in what you are doing. What _is_ wrong is to marry a man whom you loathe. Your marriage with the prince will be no _real_ marriage; it is simply a domestic contract. It is he, the old fool, who gains by it. It is _he_ who is made unspeakably, immeasurably happy. Oh! Zina, how lovely you look to-day. If I were a man I would give you half a kingdom if you but raised your finger for it! _Asses_ they all are! Who wouldn’t kiss a hand like this?” and Maria Alexandrovna kissed her daughter’s hand warmly. “Why, this is my own flesh and blood, Zina. What’s to be done afterwards? You won’t part with me, will you? You won’t drive your old mother away when you are happy yourself? No, darling, for though we have quarrelled often enough, you have not such another friend as I am, Zina! You——” “Mamma, if you’ve made up your mind to it all, perhaps it is time you set about making some move in the matter. We are losing time,” said Zina, impatiently. “Yes, it is, it is indeed time; and here am I gabbling on while they are all doing their best to seduce the prince away from us. I must be off at once. I shall find them, and bring the prince back by force, if need be. Good-bye, Zina, darling child. Don’t be afraid, and don’t look sad, dear; please don’t! It will be all well, nay, _gloriously_ well! Good-bye, good-bye!” Maria Alexandrovna made the sign of the Cross over Zina, and dashed out of the room. She stopped one moment at her looking-glass to see that all was right, and then, in another minute, was seated in her carriage and careering through the Mordasoff streets. Maria Alexandrovna lived in good style, and her carriage was always in waiting at that hour in case of need.