VII。
THEyoungfellowaccompanyingthegeneralwasabouttwenty-eight，tall，andwellbuilt，withahandsomeandcleverface，andbrightblackeyes，fulloffunandintelligence。
Aglayadidnotsomuchasglanceatthenewarrivals，butwentonwithherrecitation，gazingattheprincethewhileinanaffectedmanner，andathimalone。Itwascleartohimthatshewasdoingallthiswithsomespecialobject。
Butthenewguestsatleastsomewhateasedhisstrainedanduncomfortableposition。Seeingthemapproaching，herosefromhischair，andnoddingamicablytothegeneral，signedtohimnottointerrupttherecitation。Hethengotbehindhischair，andstoodtherewithhislefthandrestingonthebackofit。Thankstothischangeofposition，hewasabletolistentotheballadwithfarlessembarrassmentthanbefore。Mrs。Epanchinhadalsotwicemotionedtothenewarrivalstobequiet，andstaywheretheywere。
Theprincewasmuchinterestedintheyoungmanwhohadjustentered。HeeasilyconcludedthatthiswasEvgeniePavlovitchRadomski，ofwhomhehadalreadyheardmentionseveraltimes。Hewaspuzzled，however，bytheyoungman’splainclothes，forhehadalwaysheardofEvgeniePavlovitchasamilitaryman。AnironicalsmileplayedonEvgenie’slipsallthewhiletherecitationwasproceeding，whichshowedthathe，too，wasprobablyinthesecretofthe’poorknight’joke。ButithadbecomequiteadifferentmatterwithAglaya。Alltheaffectationofmannerwhichshehaddisplayedatthebeginningdisappearedastheballadproceeded。Shespokethelinesinsoseriousandexaltedamanner，andwithsomuchtaste，thatsheevenseemedtojustifytheexaggeratedsolemnitywithwhichshehadsteppedforward。Itwasimpossibletodiscerninhernowanythingbutadeepfeelingforthespiritofthepoemwhichshehadundertakentointerpret。