Page 364 - the-idiot

VII

HE young fellow accompanying the general was about
Ttwenty-eight, tall, and well built, with a handsome and
clever face, and bright black eyes, full of fun and intelli-
gence.
Aglaya did not so much as glance at the new arrivals, but
went on with her recitation, gazing at the prince the while
in an affected manner, and at him alone. It was clear to him
that she was doing all this with some special object.
But the new guests at least somewhat eased his strained
and uncomfortable position. Seeing them approaching, he
rose from his chair, and nodding amicably to the general,
signed to him not to interrupt the recitation. He then got
behind his chair, and stood there with his left hand resting
on the back of it. Thanks to this change of position, he was
able to listen to the ballad with far less embarrassment than
before. Mrs. Epanchin had also twice motioned to the new
arrivals to be quiet, and stay where they were.
The prince was much interested in the young man who
had just entered. He easily concluded that this was Evge-
nie Pavlovitch Radomski, of whom he had already heard
mention several times. He was puzzled, however, by the
young man’s plain clothes, for he had always heard of Evg-
enie Pavlovitch as a military man. An ironical smile played
on Evgenie’s lips all the while the recitation was proceed-