The idiot / Идиот. Федор Достоевский

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СКАЧАТЬ avoid carrying money in your pocket. But as your purse is quite empty at the present moment, you must allow me to press these twenty-five roubles upon your acceptance, as something to begin with. Of course we will settle this little matter another time, and if you are the upright, honest man you look, I anticipate very little trouble between us on that score. Taking so much interest in you as you may perceive I do, I am not without my object, and you shall know it in good time. You see, I am perfectly candid with you. I hope, Gania, you have nothing to say against the prince’s taking up his abode in your house?”

      “Oh, on the contrary! my mother will be very glad,” said Gania, courteously and kindly.

      “I think only one of your rooms is engaged as yet, is it not? That fellow Ferd-Ferd —”

      “Ferdishenko.”

      “Yes – I don’t like that Ferdishenko. I can’t understand why Nastasia Philipovna encourages him so. Is he really her cousin, as he says?”

      “Oh dear no, it’s all a joke. No more cousin than I am.” “Well, what do you think of the arrangement, prince?”

      “Thank you, general; you have behaved very kindly to me; all the more so since I did not ask you to help me. I don’t say that out of pride. I certainly did not know where to lay my head tonight. Rogojin asked me to come to his house, of course, but —”

      “Rogojin? No, no, my good fellow. I should strongly recommend you, paternally, – or, if you prefer it, as a friend, – to forget all about Rogojin, and, in fact, to stick to the family into which you are about to enter.”

      “Thank you,” began the prince; “and since you are so very kind there is just one matter which I —”

      “You must really excuse me,” interrupted the general, “but I positively haven’t another moment now. I shall just tell Elizabetha Prokofievna about you, and if she wishes to receive you at once – as I shall advise her – I strongly recommend you to ingratiate yourself with her at the first opportunity, for my wife may be of the greatest service to you in many ways. If she cannot receive you now, you must be content to wait till another time. Meanwhile you, Gania, just look over these accounts, will you? We mustn’t forget to finish off that matter —”

      The general left the room, and the prince never succeeded in broaching the business which he had on hand, though he had endeavoured to do so four times.

      Gania lit a cigarette and offered one to the prince. The latter accepted the offer, but did not talk, being unwilling to disturb Gania’s work. He commenced to examine the study and its contents. But Gania hardly so much as glanced at the papers lying before him; he was absent and thoughtful, and his smile and general appearance struck the prince still more disagreeably now that the two were left alone together.

      Suddenly Gania approached our hero who was at the moment standing over Nastasia Philipovna’s portrait, gazing at it.

      “Do you admire that sort of woman, prince?” he asked, looking intently at him. He seemed to have some special object in the question.

      “It’s a wonderful face,” said the prince, “and I feel sure that her destiny is not by any means an ordinary, uneventful one. Her face is smiling enough, but she must have suffered terribly – hasn’t she? Her eyes show it – those two bones there, the little points under her eyes, just where the cheek begins. It’s a proud face too, terribly proud! And I – I can’t say whether she is good and kind, or not. Oh, if she be but good! That would make all well!”

      “And would you marry a woman like that, now?” continued Gania, never taking his excited eyes off the prince’s face.

      “I cannot marry at all,” said the latter. “I am an invalid.”

      “Would Rogojin marry her, do you think?”

      “Why not? Certainly he would, I should think. He would marry her tomorrow! – marry her tomorrow and murder her in a week!”

      Hardly had the prince uttered the last word when Gania gave such a fearful shudder that the prince almost cried out.

      “What’s the matter?” said he, seizing Gania’s hand.

      “Your highness! His excellency begs your presence in her excellency’s apartments!” announced the footman, appearing at the door.

      The prince immediately followed the man out of the room.

      IV

      ALL three of the Miss Epanchins were fine, healthy girls, well-grown, with good shoulders and busts, and strong – almost masculine – hands; and, of course, with all the above attributes, they enjoyed capital appetites, of which they were not in the least ashamed.

      Elizabetha Prokofievna sometimes informed the girls that they were a little too candid in this matter, but in spite of their outward deference to their mother these three young women, in solemn conclave, had long agreed to modify the unquestioning obedience which they had been in the habit of according to her; and Mrs. General Epanchin had judged it better to say nothing about it, though, of course, she was well aware of the fact.

      It is true that her nature sometimes rebelled against these dictates of reason, and that she grew yearly more capricious and impatient; but having a respectful and well-disciplined husband under her thumb at all times, she found it possible, as a rule, to empty any little accumulations of spleen upon his head, and therefore the harmony of the family was kept duly balanced, and things went as smoothly as family matters can.

      Mrs. Epanchin had a fair appetite herself, and generally took her share of the capital mid-day lunch which was always served for the girls, and which was nearly as good as a dinner. The young ladies used to have a cup of coffee each before this meal, at ten o’clock, while still in bed. This was a favourite and unalterable arrangement with them. At half-past twelve, the table was laid in the small dining-room, and occasionally the general himself appeared at the family gathering, if he had time.

      Besides tea and coffee, cheese, honey, butter, pan-cakes of various kinds (the lady of the house loved these best), cutlets, and so on, there was generally strong beef soup, and other substantial delicacies.

      On the particular morning on which our story has opened, the family had assembled in the dining-room, and were waiting the general’s appearance, the latter having promised to come this day. If he had been one moment late, he would have been sent for at once; but he turned up punctually.

      As he came forward to wish his wife good-morning and kiss her hands, as his custom was, he observed something in her look which boded ill. He thought he knew the reason, and had expected it, but still, he was not altogether comfortable. His daughters advanced to kiss him, too, and though they did not look exactly angry, there was something strange in their expression as well.

      The general was, owing to certain circumstances, a little inclined to be too suspicious at home, and needlessly nervous; but, as an experienced father and husband, he judged it better to take measures at once to protect himself from any dangers there might be in the air.

      However, I hope I shall not interfere with the proper sequence of my narrative too much, if I diverge for a moment at this point, in order to explain the mutual relations between General Epanchin’s family and others acting a part in this history, at the time when we take up the thread of their destiny. I have already stated that the general, though he was a man of lowly origin, and of poor education, was, for all that, an experienced and talented husband and father. Among other things, he considered it undesirable to hurry his daughters to the matrimonial altar and to worry СКАЧАТЬ