Pierre saw in a flash all the original, complicated and violent travail of thought and feeling that must have been going on independently in this boy during the conversation. And recalling all he had been saying, he felt vexed that the boy should have heard him. He had to answer him, however.

‘‘I believe he would,’’ he said reluctantly, and he went out of the study.

The boy looked down, and then for the first time seemed to become aware of the havoc he had been making on the writing-table. He flushed hotly and went up to Nikolay.

‘‘Uncle, forgive me; I did it—not on purpose,’’ he said, pointing to the fragments of sealing-wax and pens.

Nikolay bounded up angrily. ‘‘Very good, very good,’’ he said, throwing the bits of pens and sealing-wax under the table. And with evident effort mastering his fury, he turned away from him.

‘‘You ought not to have been here at all,’’ he said.