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'Stop a minute, stop a minute,' interposed Zinaïda, 'I will tell you myself what each of you would have done You, Byelovzorov, would have challenged hirara poem on him in the style of Barbier, and would have inserted your production in the Telegraph You, Nirmatsky, would have borrowedno, you would have lent hih interest; you, doctor,' she stopped 'There, I really don't knohat you would have done'

'In the capacity of court physician,' answered Lushin, 'I would have advised the queen not to give balls when she was not in the huuests'

'Perhaps you would have been right And you, Count?'

'And I?' repeated Malevsky with his evil smile

'You would offer hihtly, and assuhed directly

'And as for you, Voldeh; let us play another gae, would have held up her train when she ran into the garden,' Malevsky reer, but Zina&iu up, said in a rather shaky voice: 'I have never given your excellency the right to be rude, and therefore I will ask you to leave us' She pointed to the door

'Upon my word, princess,' muttered Malevsky, and he turned quite pale

'The princess is right,' cried Byelovzorov, and he too rose

'Good God, I'd not the least idea,' Malevsky went on, 'in , I think, that couldI had no notion of offending you Forgive me'

Zinaïda looked him up and down coldly, and coldly smiled 'Stay, then, certainly,' she pronounced with a careless gesture of her arm

'M'sieu Voldemar and I were needlessly incensed It is your pleasure to stingive hts dwelling on Zina&iuain that no real queen could with greater dignity have shown a presuame of forfeits went on for a short time after this little scene; every one felt rather ill at ease, not so much on account of this scene, as fro No one spoke of it, but every one was conscious of it in hihbour Meidanov read us his verses; and Malevsky praised theood he is now,' Lushin whispered to me We soon broke up A mood of reverie seemed to have come upon Zinaïda; the old princess sent word that she had a headache; Niran to complain of his rheumatism