Chapter 1

I

At length I returned from two weeks leave of absence to find
that my patrons had arrived three days ago in Roulettenberg. I
received from them a welcome quite different to that which I had
expected. The General eyed me coldly, greeted me in rather
haughty fashion, and dismissed me to pay my respects to his
sister. It was clear that from SOMEWHERE money had been
acquired. I thought I could even detect a certain shamefacedness
in the General's glance. Maria Philipovna, too, seemed
distraught, and conversed with me with an air of detachment.
Nevertheless, she took the money which I handed to her, counted
it, and listened to what I had to tell. To luncheon there were
expected that day a Monsieur Mezentsov, a French lady, and an
Englishman; for, whenever money was in hand, a banquet in
Muscovite style was always given. Polina Alexandrovna, on seeing
me, inquired why I had been so long away. Then, without waiting
for an answer, she departed. Evidently this was not mere
accident, and I felt that I must throw some light upon matters.
It was high time that I did so.

I was assigned a small room on the fourth floor of the hotel
(for you must know that I belonged to the General's suite). So
far as I could see, the party had already gained some notoriety
in the place, which had come to look upon the General as a
Russian nobleman of great wealth. Indeed, even before luncheon
he charged me, among other things, to get two thousand-franc
notes changed for him at the hotel counter, which put us in a
position to be thought millionaires at all events for a week!
Later, I was about to take Mischa and Nadia for a walk when a
summons reached me from the staircase that I must attend the
General. He began by deigning to inquire of me where I was going
to take the children; and as he did so, I could see that he
failed to look me in the eyes. He WANTED to do so, but each time
was met by me with such a fixed, disrespectful stare that he
desisted in confusion. In pompous language, however, which
jumbled one sentence into another, and at length grew
disconnected, he gave me to understand that I was to lead the
children altogether away from the Casino, and out into the park.
Finally his anger exploded, and he added sharply:

"I suppose you would like to take them to the Casino to play
roulette? Well, excuse my speaking so plainly, but I know how
addicted you are to gambling. Though I am not your mentor, nor
wish to be, at least I have a right to require that you shall
not actually compromise me."

"I have no money for gambling," I quietly replied.

"But you will soon be in receipt of some," retorted the
General, reddening a little as he dived into his writing desk
and applied