“ Dear Colia ⁠—Please be so kind as to give the enclosed sealed letter to Aglaya Ivanovna. Keep well⁠— Ever your loving,

“ Pr. L. Muishkin.”

“It seems absurd to trust a little pepper-box like you,” said Aglaya, as she returned the note, and walked past the “pepper-box” with an expression of great contempt.

This was more than Colia could bear. He had actually borrowed Gania’s new green tie for the occasion, without saying why he wanted it, in order to impress her. He was very deeply mortified.