Page:The Bet and Other Stories.djvu/210

198 her to buy me a chain just like this. What a fine locket! Father has one just the same, but yours has stripes, here, and his has got letters. . . Inside it's mother's picture. Father has another chain now, not in links, but like a ribbon. . ."

"How do you know? Do you see your father?"

"I? Mm . . . no . . . I . . ."

Alyosha blushed and in the violent confusion of being detected in a lie began to scratch the locket busily with his finger-nail. Byelyaev looked steadily at his face and asked:

"Do you see your father?"

"No . . . no!"

"But, be honest—on your honour. By your face I can see you're not telling me the truth. If you made a slip of the tongue by mistake, what's the use of shuffling. Tell me, do you see him? As one friend to another."

Alyosha mused.

"And you won't tell Mother?" he asked.

"What next."

"On your word of honour."

"My word of honour."

"Swear an oath."

"What a nuisance you are! What do you take me for?"

Alyosha looked round, made big eyes and began to whisper.

"Only for God's sake don't tell Mother! Never tell it to anyone at all, because it's a secret. God forbid that Mother should ever get