“ Oh, I’m so glad!” said the prince, joyfully. “I was so afraid.”
“ Afraid! Then you had some grounds for supposing he might be the culprit?” said Lebedeff, frowning.
“ Oh no—not a bit! It was foolish of me to say I was afraid! Don’t repeat it please, Lebedeff, don’t tell anyone I said that!”
“ My dear prince! your words lie in the lowest depth of my heart—it is their tomb!” said Lebedeff, solemnly, pressing his hat to the region of his heart.
“ Thanks; very well. Then I suppose it’s Ferdishenko; that is, I mean, you suspect Ferdishenko?”
“ Whom else?” said Lebedeff, softly, gazing intently into the prince s face.
“ Of course—quite so, whom else? But what are the proofs?”
“ We have evidence. In the first place, his mysterious disappearance at seven o’clock, or even earlier.”
