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"It's your ill-luck yesterday that makes you so ill-humoured and

annoying," blurted out Lebeziatnikov, who in spite of his

"independence" and his "protests" did not venture to oppose Pyotr

Petrovitch and still behaved to him with some of the respect

habitual in earlier years.

"You'd better tell me this," Pyotr Petrovitch interrupted with

haughty displeasure, "can you... or rather are you really

friendly enough with that young person to ask her to step in here

for a minute? I think they've all come back from the cemetery...

I heard the sound of steps... I want to see her, that young

person."

"What for?" Lebeziatnikov asked with surprise.

"Oh, I want to. I am leaving here to-day or to-morrow and

therefore I wanted to speak to her about... However, you may be

present during the interview. It's better you should be, indeed.

For there's no knowing what you might imagine."