“It’s a nuisance,” he said to himself. “How much money was there left there in the purse?” he asked Rostov.

“Seven new and three old gold pieces.”

“Oh, it’s a nuisance! Well, why are you standing there, you mummy? Send the sergeant!” Denisov shouted to Lavrushka.

“Please, Denisov, take the money from me; I’ve plenty,” said Rostov, blushing.

“I don’t like borrowing from my own friends; I dislike it,” grumbled Denisov.

“But if you won’t take money from me like a comrade, you’ll offend me. I’ve really got it,” repeated Rostov.

“Oh, no.” And Denisov went to the bed to take the purse from under the pillow.

“Where did you put it, Rostov?”

“Under the lower pillow.”

“But it’s not there.” Denisov threw both the pillows on the floor. There was no purse. “Well, that’s a queer thing.”

“Wait a bit, haven’t you dropped it?” said Rostov, picking the pillows up one at a time and shaking them. He took off the quilt and shook it. The purse was not there.

“Could I have forgotten? No, for I thought that you keep it like a secret treasure under your head,” said Rostov. “I laid the purse here. Where is it?” He turned to Lavrushka.

“I never came into the room. Where you put it, there it must be.”

“But it isn’t.”

“You’re always like that; you throw things down anywhere and forget them. Look in your pockets.”

“No, if I hadn’t thought of its being a secret treasure,” said Rostov, “but I remember where I put it.”

Lavrushka ransacked the whole bed, glanced under it and under the table, ransacked the whole room and stood still in the middle of the room. Denisov watched Lavrushka’s movements in silence, and when Lavrushka flung up his hands in amazement to signify that it was nowhere, he looked round at Rostov.

“Rostov, none of your schoolboy jokes.”

Rostov, feeling Denisov’s eyes upon him, lifted his eyes and instantly dropped them again. All his blood, which felt as though it had been locked up somewhere below his throat, rushed to his face and eyes. He could hardly draw his breath.

“And there’s been no one in the room but the lieutenant and yourselves. It must be here somewhere,” said Lavrushka.

“Now then, you devil’s puppet, bestir yourself and look for it!” Denisov shouted suddenly, turning purple and dashing at the valet with a threatening gesture. “The purse is to be found, or I’ll flog you! I’ll flog you all!”

Rostov, his eyes avoiding Denisov, began buttoning up his jacket fastening on his sword, and putting on his forage-cap.