The Idiot | Page 8

sing another song now!" giggled
Lebedeff, rubbing his hands with glee. "Hey, my boy, we'll get her
some proper earrings now! We'll get her such earrings that--"
"Look here," cried Rogojin, seizing him fiercely by the arm, "look here,
if you so much as name Nastasia Philipovna again, I'll tan your hide as
sure as you sit there!"
"Aha! do--by all means! if you tan my hide you won't turn me away
from your society. You'll bind me to you, with your lash, for ever. Ha,
ha! here we are at the station, though."
Sure enough, the train was just steaming in as he spoke.
Though Rogojin had declared that he left Pskoff secretly, a large
collection of friends had assembled to greet him, and did so with
profuse waving of hats and shouting.

"Why, there's Zaleshoff here, too!" he muttered, gazing at the scene
with a sort of triumphant but unpleasant smile. Then he suddenly
turned to the prince: "Prince, I don't know why I have taken a fancy to
you; perhaps because I met you just when I did. But no, it can't be that,
for I met this fellow " (nodding at Lebedeff) "too, and I have not taken
a fancy to him by any means. Come to see me, prince; we'll take off
those gaiters of yours and dress you up in a smart fur coat, the best we
can buy. You shall have a dress coat, best quality, white waistcoat,
anything you like, and your pocket shall be full of money. Come, and
you shall go with me to Nastasia Philipovna's. Now then will you come
or no?"
"Accept, accept, Prince Lef Nicolaievitch" said Lebedef solemnly;
"don't let it slip! Accept, quick!"
Prince Muishkin rose and stretched out his hand courteously, while he
replied with some cordiality:
"I will come with the greatest pleasure, and thank you very much for
taking a fancy to me. I dare say I may even come today if I have time,
for I tell you frankly that I like you very much too. I liked you
especially when you told us about the diamond earrings; but I liked you
before that as well, though you have such a dark-clouded sort of face.
Thanks very much for the offer of clothes and a fur coat; I certainly
shall require both clothes and coat very soon. As for money, I have
hardly a copeck about me at this moment."
"You shall have lots of money; by the evening I shall have plenty; so
come along!"
"That's true enough, he'll have lots before evening!" put in Lebedeff.
"But, look here, are you a great hand with the ladies? Let's know that
first?" asked Rogojin.
"Oh no, oh no! said the prince; "I couldn't, you know--my illness--I
hardly ever saw a soul."

"H'm! well--here, you fellow-you can come along with me now if you
like!" cried Rogojin to Lebedeff, and so they all left the carriage.
Lebedeff had his desire. He went off with the noisy group of Rogojin's
friends towards the Voznesensky, while the prince's route lay towards
the Litaynaya. It was damp and wet. The prince asked his way of
passers-by, and finding that he was a couple of miles or so from his
destination, he determined to take a droshky.
II.
General Epanchin lived in his own house near the Litaynaya. Besides
this large residence--five-sixths of which was let in flats and
lodgings-the general was owner of another enormous house in the
Sadovaya bringing in even more rent than the first. Besides these
houses he had a delightful little estate just out of town, and some sort of
factory in another part of the city. General Epanchin, as everyone knew,
had a good deal to do with certain government monopolies; he was also
a voice, and an important one, in many rich public companies of
various descriptions; in fact, he enjoyed the reputation of being a well-
to-do man of busy habits, many ties, and affluent means. He had made
himself indispensable in several quarters, amongst others in his
department of the government; and yet it was a known fact that Fedor
Ivanovitch Epanchin was a man of no education whatever, and had
absolutely risen from the ranks.
This last fact could, of course, reflect nothing but credit upon the
general; and yet, though unquestionably a sagacious man, he had his
own little weaknesses-very excusable ones,--one of which was a dislike
to any allusion to the above circumstance. He was undoubtedly clever.
For instance, he made a point of never asserting himself when he would
gain more by keeping in the background; and in consequence many
exalted personages valued him principally for his humility and
simplicity, and because "he knew his place." And yet if these good
people could only have had