midnight, I shall come to find your excellency, and then you can judge
for yourself if I lie; but up to the present, your excellency, all the
conditions of the service I wish to render you are to my disadvantage."

"In what way?"

"Well, if I fail to give proofs, I am to be treated as an infamous
slanderer; but if I give them, what advantage shall I gain?"

"A thousand roubles and your freedom."

"That is a bargain, then, your excellency," replied Gregory quietly,
replacing the razors on the general's toilet-table, "and I hope that
before a week has passed you will be more just to me than you are now."

With these words the slave left the room, leaving the general convinced
by his confidence that some dreadful misfortune threatened him.

From this time onward, as might be expected, the general weighed every
word and noticed every gesture which passed between Vaninka and Foedor in
his presence; but he saw nothing to confirm his suspicions on the part of
the aide-de-camp or of his daughter; on the contrary, Vaninka seemed
colder and more reserved than ever.

A week passed in this way. About two o'clock in the morning of the ninth
day, someone knocked at the general's door. It was Gregory.

"If your excellency will go into your daughter's room," said Gregory,
"you will find Mr. Foedor there."