白痴 英文版 The Idiot
陀思妥耶夫斯基 Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Idiot X.
THE entrance-hall suddenly became full of noise and people. Tojudge from the sounds which penetrated to the drawing-room, anumber of people had already come in, and the stampede continued.Several voices were talking and shouting at once; others weretalking and shouting on the stairs outside; it was evidently amost extraordinary visit that was about to take place.
Everyone exchanged startled glances. Gania rushed out towards thedining-room, but a number of men had already made their way in,and met him.
"Ah! here he is, the Judas!" cried a voice which the princerecognized at once. "How d'ye do, Gania, you old blackguard?"
"Yes, that's the man!" said another voice.
There was no room for doubt in the prince's mind: one of thevoices was Rogojin's, and the other Lebedeff's.
Gania stood at the door like a block and looked on in silence,putting no obstacle in the way of their entrance, and ten or adozen men marched in behind Parfen Rogojin. They were a decidedlymixed-looking collection, and some of them came in in their fursand caps. None of them were quite drunk, but all appeared to Deconsiderably excited.
They seemed to need each other's support, morally, before theydared come in; not one of them would have entered alone but withthe rest each one was brave enough. Even Rogojin entered rathercautiously at the head of his troop; but he was evidentlypreoccupied. He appeared to be gloomy and morose, and had clearlycome with some end in view. All the rest were merely chorus,brought in to support the chief character. Besides Lebedeff therewas the dandy Zalesheff, who came in without his coat and hat,two or three others followed his example; the rest were moreuncouth. They included a couple of young merchants, a man in agreat-coat, a medical student, a little Pole, a small fat man wholaughed continuously, and an enormously tall stout one whoapparently put great faith in the strength of his fists. A coupleof "ladies" of some sort put their heads in at the front door,but did not dare come any farther. Colia promptly banged the doorin their faces and locked it.
"Hallo, Gania, you blackguard! You didn't expect Rogojin, eh?"said the latter, entering the drawing-room, and stopping beforeGania.
listen to you!" he added, with.
But at this moment he saw, seated before him, NastasiaPhilipovna. He had not dreamed of meeting her here, evidently,for her appearance produced a marvellous effect upon him. He grewpale, and his lips became actually blue.
"I suppose it is true, then!" he muttered to himself, and hisface took on an expression of despair. "So that's the end of it!Now you, sir, will you answer me or not?" he went on suddenly,gazing at Gania with ineffable malice. "Now then, you--"
He panted, and could hardly speak for agitation. He advanced intothe room mechanically; but perceiving Nina Alexandrovna and Variahe became more or less embarrassed, in spite of his excitement.His followers entered after him, and all paused a moment at sightof the ladies. Of course their modesty was not fated to be long-lived, but for a moment they were abashed. Once let them begin toshout, however, and nothing on earth should disconcert them.
"What, you here too, prince?" said Rogojin, absently, but alittle surprised all the same " Still in your gaiters, eh?" Hesighed, and forgot the prince next moment, and his wild eyeswandered over to Nastasia again, as though attracted in thatdirection by some magnetic force.
Nastasia looked at the new arrivals with great curiosity. Ganiarecollected himself at last.
"Excuse me, sirs," he said, loudly, "but what does all thismean?" He glared at the advancing crowd generally, but addressedhis remarks especially to their captain, Rogojin. "You are not ina stable, gentlemen, though you may think it--my mother andsister are present."
"Yes, I see your mother and sister," muttered Rogojin, throughhis teeth; and Lebedeff seemed to feel himself called upon tosecond the statement.
occasion, was now evidently.
"At all events, I must request you to step into the salon," saidGania, his rage rising quite out of proportion to his words, "andthen I shall inquire--"
"What, he doesn't know me!" said Rogojin, showing his teethdisagreeably. "He doesn't recognize Rogojin!" He did not move aninch, however.
"I have met you somewhere, I believe, but--"
"Met me somewhere, pfu! Why, it's only three months since I losttwo hundred roubles of my father's money to you, at cards. Theold fellow died before he found out. Ptitsin knows all about it.Why, I've only to pull out a three-rouble note and show it toyou, and you'd crawl on your hands and knees to the other end ofthe town for it; that's the sort of man you are. Why, I've comenow, at this moment, to buy you up! Oh, you needn't think thatbecause I wear these boots I have no money. I have lots of money,my beauty,--enough to buy up you and all yours together. So Ishall, if I like to! I'll buy you up! I will!" he yelled,apparently growing more and more intoxicated and excited." Oh,Nastasia Philipovna! don't turn me out! Say one word, do! Are yougoing to marry this man, or not?"
Rogojin asked his question like a lost soul appealing to somedivinity, with the reckless daring of one appointed to die, whohas nothing to lose.
He awaited the reply in deadly anxiety.
Nastasia Philipovna gazed at him with a haughty, ironical.expression of face; but when she glanced at Nina Alexandrovna andVaria, and from them to Gania, she changed her tone, all of asudden.
"Certainly not; what are you thinking of? What could have inducedyou to ask such a question?" she replied, quietly and seriously,and even, apparently, with some astonishment.
"No? No?" shouted Rogojin, almost out of his mind with joy. "Youare not going to, after all? And they told me--oh, NastasiaPhilipovna--they said you had promised to marry him, HIM! As ifyou COULD do it!--him--pooh! I don't mind saying it to everyone--I'd buy him off for a hundred roubles, any day pfu! Give him athousand, or three if he likes, poor devil' and he'd cut and runthe day before his wedding, and leave his bride to me! Wouldn'tyou, Gania, you blackguard? You'd take three thousand, wouldn'tyou? Here's the money! Look, I've come on purpose to pay you offand get your receipt, formally. I said I'd buy you up, and so Iwill."
"Get out of this, you drunken beast!" cried Gania, who was redand white by turns.
Rogojin's troop, who were only waiting for an excuse, set up ahowl at this. Lebedeff stepped forward and whispered something inParfen's ear.
"You're right, clerk," said the latter, "you're right, tipsyspirit--you're right!--Nastasia Philipovna," he added, looking ather like some lunatic, harmless generally, but suddenly wound upto a pitch of audacity, "here are eighteen thousand roubles,and--and you shall have more--." Here he threw a packet of bank-notes tied up in white paper, on the table before her, not daringto say all he wished to say.
"No-no-no!" muttered Lebedeff, clutching at his arm. He wasclearly aghast at the largeness of the sum, and thought a farsmaller amount should have been tried first.
quietly and seriously,and even, apparently, with !
"No, you fool--you don't know whom you are dealing with--and itappears I am a fool, too!" said Parfen, trembling beneath theflashing glance of Nastasia. "Oh, curse it all! What a fool Iwas to listen to you!" he added, with profound melancholy.
Nastasia Philipovna, observing his woe-begone expression,suddenly burst out laughing.
"Eighteen thousand roubles, for me? Why, you declare yourself afool at once," she said, with impudent familiarity, as she rosefrom the sofa and prepared to go. Gania watched the whole scenewith a sinking of the heart.
"Forty thousand, then--forty thousand roubles instead of eighteen!Ptitsin and another have promised to find me forty thousandroubles by seven o'clock tonight. Forty thousand roubles--paiddown on the nail!"
The scene was growing more and more disgraceful; but NastasiaPhilipovna continued to laugh and did not go away. NinaAlexandrovna and Varia had both risen from their places and werewaiting, in silent horror, to see what would happen. Varia's eyeswere all ablaze with anger; but the scene had a different effecton Nina Alexandrovna. She paled and trembled, and looked more andmore like fainting every moment.
"Very well then, a HUNDRED thousand! a hundred thousand! paidthis very day. Ptitsin! find it for me. A good share shall stickto your fingers--come!"
"You are mad!" said Ptitsin, coming up quickly and seizing him bythe hand. "You're drunk--the police will be sent for if you don'tlook out. Think where you are."
"Yes, he's boasting like a drunkard," added Nastasia, as thoughwith the sole intention of goading him.
"I do NOT boast! You shall have a hundred thousand, this veryday. Ptitsin, get the money, you gay usurer! Take what you likefor it, but get it by the evening! I'll show that I'm inearnest!" cried Rogojin, working himself up into a frenzy ofexcitement.
"Come, come; what's all this?" cried General Ivolgin, suddenlyand angrily, coming close up to Rogojin. The unexpectedness ofthis sally on the part of the hitherto silent old man caused somelaughter among the intruders.
"Halloa! what's this now?" laughed Rogojin. "You come along withme, old fellow! You shall have as much to drink as you like."
"Oh, it's too horrible!" cried poor Colia, sobbing with shame andannoyance.
"Surely there must be someone among all of you here who will turnthis shameless creature out of the room?" cried Varia, suddenly.She was shaking and trembling with rage.
he cried, as he passed the latter., till.
"That's me, I suppose. I'm the shameless creature!" criedNastasia Philipovna, with amused indifference. "Dear me, and Icame--like a fool, as I am--to invite them over to my house forthe evening! Look how your sister treats me, GavrilaArdalionovitch."
For some moments Gania stood as if stunned or struck bylightning, after his sister's speech. But seeing that NastasiaPhilipovna was really about to leave the room this time, hesprang at Varia and seized her by the arm like a madman.
"What have you done?" he hissed, glaring at her as though hewould like to annihilate her on the spot. He was quite besidehimself, and could hardly articulate his words for rage.
"What have I done? Where are you dragging me to?"
"Do you wish me to beg pardon of this creature because she hascome here to insult our mother and disgrace the whole household,you low, base wretch?" cried Varia, looking back at her brotherwith proud defiance.
A few moments passed as they stood there face to face, Ganiastill holding her wrist tightly. Varia struggled once--twice--toget free; then could restrain herself no longer, and spat in hisface.
"There's a girl for you!" cried Nastasia Philipovna. "Mr.Ptitsin, I congratulate you on your choice."
Gania lost his head. Forgetful of everything he aimed a blow atVaria, which would inevitably have laid her low, but suddenlyanother hand caught his. Between him and Varia stood the prince.
"Enough--enough!" said the latter, with insistence, but all of atremble with excitement.
"Are you going to cross my path for ever, damn you!" cried Gania;and, loosening his hold on Varia, he slapped the prince's facewith all his force.
Exclamations of horror arose on all sides. The prince grew paleas death; he gazed into Gania's eyes with a strange, wild,reproachful look; his lips trembled and vainly endeavoured toform some words; then his mouth twisted into an incongruoussmile.
"Very well--never mind about me; but I shall not allow you tostrike her!" he said, at last, quietly. Then, suddenly, he couldbear it no longer, and covering his face with his hands, turnedto the wall, and murmured in broken accents:
"Oh! how ashamed you will be of this afterwards!"
Gania certainly did look dreadfully abashed. Colia rushed up tocomfort the prince, and after him crowded Varia, Rogojin and all,even the general.
"It's nothing, it's nothing!" said the prince, and again he worethe smile which was so inconsistent with the circumstances.
"Yes, he will be ashamed!" cried Rogojin. "You will be properlyashamed of yourself for having injured such a--such a sheep" (hecould not find a better word). "Prince, my dear fellow, leavethis and come away with me. I'll show you how Rogojin shows hisaffection for his friends."
Nastasia Philipovna was also much impressed, both with Gania'saction and with the prince's reply.
Her usually thoughtful, pale face, which all this while had beenso little in harmony with the jests and laughter which she hadseemed to put on for the occasion, was now evidently agitated bynew feelings, though she tried to conceal the fact and to look asthough she were as ready as ever for jesting and irony.
"I really think I must have seen him somewhere!" she murmuredseriously enough.
"Oh, aren't you ashamed of yourself--aren't you ashamed? Are youreally the sort of woman you are trying to represent yourself tobe? Is it possible?" The prince was now addressing Nastasia, in atone of reproach, which evidently came from his very heart.
Nastasia Philipovna looked surprised, and smiled, but evidentlyconcealed something beneath her smile and with some confusion anda glance at Gania she left the room.
However, she had not reached the outer hall when she turnedround, walked quickly up to Nina Alexandrovna, seized her handand lifted it to her lips.
"He guessed quite right. I am not that sort of woman," shewhispered hurriedly, flushing red all over. Then she turned againand left the room so quickly that no one could imagine what shehad come back for. All they saw was that she said something toNina Alexandrovna in a hurried whisper, and seemed to kiss herhand. Varia, however, both saw and heard all, and watchedNastasia out of the room with an expression of wonder.
Gania recollected himself in time to rush after her in order toshow her out, but she had gone. He followed her to the stairs.
"Don't come with me," she cried, "Au revoir, till the evening--doyou hear? Au revoir!"
He returned thoughtful and confused; the riddle lay heavier thanever on his soul. He was troubled about the prince, too, and sobewildered that he did not even observe Rogojin's rowdy bandcrowd past him and step on his toes, at the door as they wentout. They were all talking at once. Rogojin went ahead of theothers, talking to Ptitsin, and apparently insisting vehementlyupon something very important
"You've lost the game, Gania" he cried, as he passed the latter.
Gania gazed after him uneasily, but said nothing.