"no! allow me, that is not what we are discussing!" he cried, waving his hand to impose silence. "allow me! with these gentlemen... all these gentlemen," he added, suddenly addressing the prince, "on certain points... that is..." he thumped the table repeatedly, and the laughter increased. lebedeff was in his usual evening condition, and had just ended a long and scientific argument, which had left him excited and irritable. on such occasions he was apt to evince a supreme contempt for his opponents.