relief to him. 'I must find out! But from whom? From the princess? No, from
Kupfer ... from Kupfer? But they say he's not in Moscow--no matter, I must
try him first!'

With these reflections in his head, Aratov dressed himself in haste, called
a cab and drove to Kupfer's.


IX

Though he had not expected to find him, he found him. Kupfer had, as a
fact, been away from Moscow for some time, but he had now been back a week,
and was indeed on the point of setting off to see Aratov. He met him with
his usual heartiness, and was beginning to make some sort of explanation
... but Aratov at once cut him short with the impatient question, 'Have you
heard it? Is it true?'

'Is what true?' replied Kupfer, puzzled.

'About Clara Militch?'

Kupfer's face expressed commiseration. 'Yes, yes, my dear boy, it's true;
she poisoned herself! Such a sad thing!'

Aratov was silent for a while. 'But did you read it in the paper too?' he
asked--'or perhaps you have been in Kazan yourself?'

'I have been in Kazan, yes; the princess and I accompanied her there. She
came out on the stage there, and had a great success. But I didn't stay up
to the time of the catastrophe ... I was in Yaroslav at the time.'