inserted your production in the Telegraph. You, Nirmatsky, would have borrowed . . . no, you would have lent him money at high interest; you, doctor, . . .' she stopped. 'There, I really don't know what you would have done.. . .'
'In the capacity of court physician,' answered Lushin, 'I would have advised the queen not to give balls when she was not in the humour for entertaining her guests.. . .'
'Perhaps you would have been right. And you. Count? . . .'
'And I?' repeated Malevsky with his evil smile.. . .
'You would offer him a poisoned sweetmeat.'
Malevsky's face changed slightly, and assumed for an instant a Jewish expression, but he laughed directly.
'And as for you, Voldemar, . . .' Zinaïda went on, 'but that's enough, though; let us play another game.'
'M'sieu Voldemar, as the queen's page, would have held up her train when she ran into the garden,' Malevsky remarked malignantly.
I was crimson with anger, but Zinaïda hurriedly laid a hand on my shoulder, and getting up, said in a rather shaky voice: 'I have never given your excellency the right to be rude, and therefore I will ask you to leave us.' She pointed to the door.
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