One of these incidents was a visit from Lebedeff. Lebedeff came rather early⁠—before ten⁠—but he was tipsy already. Though the prince was not in an observant condition, yet he could not avoid seeing that for at least three days⁠—ever since General Ivolgin had left the house⁠—Lebedeff had been behaving very badly. He looked untidy and dirty at all times of the day, and it was said that he had begun to rage about in his own house, and that his temper was very bad. As soon as he arrived this morning, he began to hold forth, beating his breast and apparently blaming himself for something.

“I’ve⁠—I’ve had a reward for my meanness⁠—I’ve had a slap in the face,” he concluded, tragically.

“A slap in the face? From whom? And so early in the morning?”

“Early?” said Lebedeff, sarcastically. “Time counts for nothing, even in physical chastisement; but my slap in the face was not physical, it was moral.”