“Why, my dear boy, they’d simply ea—eat me up,—I—I know their cunning and malice of old! My dear fellow—you won’t believe it—but I assure you I was afraid they were going to put me into a lun—atic asylum! a common ma—ad-house! Goodness me, think of that! Whatever should I have done with myself all day in a ma—ad-house?” “Of course, of course! Well, I won’t leave your side, then, uncle, when you go downstairs. There are guests there too!” “Guests? dear me! I—I——” “Don’t be afraid, uncle; I shall be by you!” “I—I’m _so_ much obliged to you, my dear boy; you have simply sa—ved me, you have indeed! But, do you know what,—I think I’d better go away altogether!” “To-morrow, uncle! to-morrow morning at seven! and this evening you must be sure to say, in the presence of everybody, that you are starting away at seven next morning: you must say good-bye to-night!” “Un—doubtedly, undoubtedly—I shall go;—but what if they talk to me as though I were engaged to the young wo—oman?” “Don’t you fear, uncle! I shall be there! And mind, whatever they say or hint to you, you must declare that you dreamed the whole thing—as indeed you did, of course?” “Ye—yes, quite so, un—doubtedly so! But, do you know my dear boy, it was a most be—witching dream, for all that! She is a wond—erfully lovely girl, my boy,—such a figure—bewitching—be—witching!” “Well, _au revoir_, uncle! I’m going down, now, and you——” “How! How! you are not going to leave me alone?” cried the old man, greatly alarmed. “No, no—oh no, uncle; but we must enter the room separately. First, I will go in, and then you come down; that will be better!” “Very well, very well. Besides, I just want to note down one little i—dea——” “Capital, uncle! jot it down, and then come at once; don’t wait any longer; and to-morrow morning——” “And to-morrow morning away we go to the Her—mitage, straight to the Her—mitage! Charming—charm—ing! but, do you know, my boy,—she’s a fas—cinating girl—she is indeed! be—witching! Such a bust! and, really, if I were to marry, I—I—really——” “No, no, uncle! Heaven forbid!” “Yes—yes—quite so—Heaven for—bid!—well, _au revoir_, my friend—I’ll come directly; by the bye—I meant to ask you, have you read Kazanoff’s Memoirs?” “Yes, uncle. Why?” “Yes, yes, quite so—I forget what I wanted to say——” “You’ll remember afterwards, uncle! _au revoir!_” “_Au revoir_, my boy, _au revoir_—but, I say, it was a bewitching dream, a most be—witching dream!” CHAPTER XII. “Here we all are, all of us, come to spend the evening; Proskovia Ilinishna is coming too, and Luisa Karlovna and all!” cried Mrs. Antipova as she entered the salon, and looked hungrily round. She was a neat, pretty little woman! she was well-dressed, and knew it. She looked greedily around, as I say, because she had an idea that the prince and Zina were hidden together somewhere about the room.