“Yes⁠—yes⁠—for a while, I think,” stammered the prince.

“Prince, mother begs you to come to her,” said Colia, appearing at the door.

The prince rose to go, but the general once more laid his hand in a friendly manner on his shoulder, and dragged him down on to the sofa.

“As the true friend of your father, I wish to say a few words to you,” he began. “I have suffered⁠—there was a catastrophe. I suffered without a trial; I had no trial. Nina Alexandrovna my wife, is an excellent woman, so is my daughter Varvara. We have to let lodgings because we are poor⁠—a dreadful, unheard-of comedown for us⁠—for me, who should have been a governor-general; but we are very glad to have you , at all events. Meanwhile there is a tragedy in the house.”

The prince looked inquiringly at the other.