call her "cousin"), awakened in me a feeling of reverence for his person
almost equal to that which I felt for Grandmamma herself.

On being shown my verses, he called me to his side, and said:

"Who knows, my cousin, but that he may prove to be a second Derzhavin?"
Nevertheless he pinched my cheek so hard that I was only prevented from
crying by the thought that it must be meant for a caress.

Gradually the other guests dispersed, and with them Papa and Woloda.
Thus only Grandmamma, the Prince, and myself were left in the
drawing-room.

"Why has our dear Natalia Nicolaevna not come to-day" asked the Prince
after a silence.

"Ah, my friend," replied Grandmamma, lowering her voice and laying a
hand upon the sleeve of his uniform, "she would certainly have come if
she had been at liberty to do what she likes. She wrote to me that Peter
had proposed bringing her with him to town, but that she had refused,
since their income had not been good this year, and she could see
no real reason why the whole family need come to Moscow, seeing that
Lubotshka was as yet very young and that the boys were living with me--a
fact, she said, which made her feel as safe about them as though she had
been living with them herself."

"True, it is good for the boys to be here," went on Grandmamma, yet in
a tone which showed clearly that she did not think it was so very good,
"since it was more than time that they should be sent to Moscow to
study, as well as to learn how to comport themselves in society. What