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whatever. If the latter had not himself been occupied with
other thoughts and impressions at the time, he must have
observed that Lebedeff not only was very uncommunica-
tive, but even appeared anxious to avoid him.
When the prince did give the matter a little attention, he
recalled the fact that during these days he had always found
Lebedeff to be in radiantly good spirits, when they hap-
pened to meet; and further, that the general and Lebedeff
were always together. The two friends did not seem ever to
be parted for a moment.
Occasionally the prince heard loud talking and laughing
upstairs, and once he detected the sound of a jolly soldier’s
song going on above, and recognized the unmistakable bass
of the general’s voice. But the sudden outbreak of song did
not last; and for an hour afterwards the animated sound
of apparently drunken conversation continued to be heard
from above. At length there was the clearest evidence of
a grand mutual embracing, and someone burst into tears.
Shortly after this, however, there was a violent but short-
lived quarrel, with loud talking on both sides.
All these days Colia had been in a state of great mental
preoccupation. Muishkin was usually out all day, and only
came home late at night. On his return he was invariably
informed that Colia had been looking for him. However,
when they did meet, Colia never had anything particular to
tell him, excepting that he was highly dissatisfied with the
general and his present condition of mind and behaviour.
‘They drag each other about the place,’ he said, and get
drunk together at the pub close by here, and quarrel in the

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