白痴 英文版 The Idiot
陀思妥耶夫斯基 Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Idiot II. Page 2
"He is telling lies!" cried the nephew. "Even now he cannot speakthe truth. He is not called Timofey Lukianovitch, prince, butLukian Timofeyovitch. Now do tell us why you must needs lie aboutit? Lukian or Timofey, it is all the same to you, and whatdifference can it make to the prince? He tells lies without theleast necessity, simply by force of habit, I assure you."
now it is you who have brought them!
"Is that true?" said the prince impatiently.
"My name really is Lukian Timofeyovitch," acknowledged Lebedeff,lowering his eyes, and putting his hand on his heart.
"Well, for God's sake, what made you say the other?"
"To humble myself," murmured Lebedeff.
"What on earth do you mean? Oh I if only I knew where Colia wasat this moment!" cried the prince, standing up, as if to go.
"Oh! no, no!" said Lebedeff, hurriedly.
woman who is seeking.
"Colia spent the night here, and this morning went after hisfather, whom you let out of prison by paying his debts--Heavenonly knows why! Yesterday the general promised to come and lodgehere, but he did not appear. Most probably he slept at the hotelclose by. No doubt Colia is there, unless he has gone to Pavlofskto see the Epanchins. He had a little money, and was intending togo there yesterday. He must be either at the hotel or atPavlofsk."
"At Pavlofsk! He is at Pavlofsk, undoubtedly!" interruptedLebedeff. . . . "But come--let us go into the garden--we willhave coffee there. . . ." And Lebedeff seized the prince's arm,and led him from the room. They went across the yard, and foundthemselves in a delightful little garden with the trees alreadyin their summer dress of green, thanks to the unusually fineweather. Lebedeff invited his guest to sit down on a green seatbefore a table of the same colour fixed in the earth, and took aseat facing him. In a few minutes the coffee appeared, and theprince did not refuse it. The host kept his eyes fixed onMuishkin, with an expression of passionate servility.
"I knew nothing about your home before," said the princeabsently, as if he were thinking of something else.
"Poor orphans," began Lebedeff, his face assuming a mournful air,but he stopped short, for the other looked at him inattentively,as if he had already forgotten his own remark. They waited a fewminutes in silence, while Lebedeff sat with his eyes fixedmournfully on the young man's face.
"Well!" said the latter, at last rousing himself. "Ah! yes! Youknow why I came, Lebedeff. Your letter brought me. Speak! Tell meall about it."
The clerk, rather confused, tried to say something, hesitated,began to speak, and again stopped. The prince looked at himgravely.
"I think I understand, Lukian Timofeyovitch: you were not surethat I should come. You did not think I should start at the firstword from you, and you merely wrote to relieve your conscience.However, you see now that I have come, and I have had enough oftrickery. Give up serving, or trying to serve, two masters.Rogojin has been here these three weeks. Have you managed to sellher to him as you did before? Tell me the truth."
"He discovered everything, the monster ... himself ......"
"Don't abuse him; though I dare say you have something tocomplain of. . . ."
"He beat me, he thrashed me unmercifully!" replied Lebedeffvehemently. "He set a dog on me in Moscow, a bloodhound, aterrible beast that chased me all down the street."
"You seem to take me for a child, Lebedeff. Tell me, is it a factthat she left him while they were in Moscow?"
"Yes, it is a fact, and this time, let me tell you, on the veryeve of their marriage! It was a question of minutes when sheslipped off to Petersburg. She came to me directly she arrived--'Save me, Lukian! find me some refuge, and say nothing to theprince!' She is afraid of you, even more than she is of him, andin that she shows her wisdom!" And Lebedeff slily put his fingerto his brow as he said the last words.
"And now it is you who have brought them together again?"
"Excellency, how could I, how could I prevent it?"
"That will do. I can find out for myself. Only tell me, where isshe now? At his house? With him?"
"Oh no! Certainly not! 'I am free,' she says; you know how sheinsists on that point. 'I am entirely free.' She repeats it overand over again. She is living in Petersburgskaia, with my sister-in-law, as I told you in my letter."
"She is there at this moment?"
"Yes, unless she has gone to Pavlofsk: the fine weather may havetempted her, perhaps, into the country, with Daria Alexeyevna. 'Iam quite free,' she says. Only yesterday she boasted of herfreedom to Nicolai Ardalionovitch--a bad sign," added Lebedeff,smiling.
"Colia goes to see her often, does he not?"
"He is a strange boy, thoughtless, and inclined to beindiscreet."
"Is it long since you saw her?"
"I go to see her every day, every day."
"Then you were there yesterday?"
"N-no: I have not been these three last days."
"It is a pity you have taken too much wine, Lebedeff I want toask you something ... but. . ."
"All right! all right! I am not drunk," replied the clerk,preparing to listen.
"Tell me, how was she when you left her?"
"She is a woman who is seeking. .. "
"Seeking?"
"She seems always to be searching about, as if she had lostsomething. The mere idea of her coming marriage disgusts her; shelooks on it as an insult. She cares as much for HIM as for apiece of orange-peel--not more. Yet I am much mistaken if shedoes not look on him with fear and trembling. She forbids hisname to be mentioned before her, and they only meet whenunavoidable. He understands, well enough! But it must be gonethrough She is restless, mocking, deceitful, violent...."
"Deceitful and violent?"
"Yes, violent. I can give you a proof of it. A few days ago shetried to pull my hair because I said something that annoyed her.I tried to soothe her by reading the Apocalypse aloud."
them together again?"let me tell you, on.
"What?" exclaimed the prince, thinking he had not heard aright.
"By reading the Apocalypse. The lady has a restless imagination,he-he! She has a liking for conversation on serious subjects, ofany kind; in fact they please her so much, that it flatters herto discuss them. Now for fifteen years at least I have studiedthe Apocalypse, and she agrees with me in thinking that thepresent is the epoch represented by the third horse, the blackone whose rider holds a measure in his hand. It seems to me thateverything is ruled by measure in our century; all men areclamouring for their rights; 'a measure of wheat for a penny, andthree measures of barley for a penny.' But, added to this, mendesire freedom of mind and body, a pure heart, a healthy life,and all God's good gifts. Now by pleading their rights alone,they will never attain all this, so the white horse, with hisrider Death, comes next, and is followed by Hell. We talked aboutthis matter when we met, and it impressed her very much."
"Do you believe all this?" asked Muishkin, looking curiously athis companion.
"I both believe it and explain it. I am but a poor creature, abeggar, an atom in the scale of humanity. Who has the leastrespect for Lebedeff? He is a target for all the world, the buttof any fool who chooses to kick him. But in interpretingrevelation I am the equal of anyone, great as he may be! Such isthe power of the mind and the spirit. I have made a lordlypersonage tremble, as he sat in his armchair . . . only bytalking to him of things concerning the spirit. Two years ago, onEaster Eve, His Excellency Nil Alexeyovitch, whose subordinate Iwas then, wished to hear what I had to say, and sent a message byPeter Zakkaritch to ask me to go to his private room. 'They tellme you expound the prophecies relating to Antichrist,' said he,when we were alone. 'Is that so?' ' Yes,' I answeredunhesitatingly, and I began to give some comments on theApostle's allegorical vision. At first he smiled, but when wereached the numerical computations and correspondences, hetrembled, and turned pale. Then he begged me to close the book,and sent me away, promising to put my name on the reward list.That took place as I said on the eve of Easter, and eight dayslater his soul returned to God."
"What?"
"It is the truth. One evening after dinner he stumbled as hestepped out of his carriage. He fell, and struck his head on thecurb, and died immediately. He was seventy-three years of age,and had a red face, and white hair; he deluged himself withscent, and was always smiling like a child. Peter Zakkaritchrecalled my interview with him, and said, 'YOU FORETOLD HISDEATH.'"
thateverything is ruled by measure.
The prince rose from his seat, and Lebedeff, surprised to see hisguest preparing to go so soon, remarked: "You are notinterested?" in a respectful tone.
"I am not very well, and my head aches. Doubtless the effect ofthe journey," replied the prince, frowning.
"You should go into the country," said Lebedeff timidly.
The prince seemed to be considering the suggestion.
"You see, I am going into the country myself in three days, withmy children and belongings. The little one is delicate; she needschange of air; and during our absence this house will be done up.I am going to Pavlofsk."
"You are going to Pavlofsk too?" asked the prince sharply."Everybody seems to be going there. Have you a house in thatneighbourhood?"
"I don't know of many people going to Pavlofsk, and as for thehouse, Ivan Ptitsin has let me one of his villas rather cheaply.It is a pleasant place, lying on a hill surrounded by trees, andone can live there for a mere song. There is good music to beheard, so no wonder it is popular. I shall stay in the lodge. Asto the villa itself. . "
"Have you let it?"
"N-no--not exactly."
"Let it to me," said the prince.
Now this was precisely what Lebedeff had made up his mind to doin the last three minutes. Not that he bad any difficulty infinding a tenant; in fact the house was occupied at present by achance visitor, who had told Lebedeff that he would perhaps takeit for the summer months. The clerk knew very well that this"PERHAPS" meant "CERTAINLY," but as he thought he could make moreout of a tenant like the prince, he felt justified in speakingvaguely about the present inhabitant's intentions. "This is quitea coincidence," thought he, and when the subject of price wasmentioned, he made a gesture with his hand, as if to waive away aquestion of so little importance.
"Oh well, as you like!" said Muishkin. "I will think it over. Youshall lose nothing!"
They were walking slowly across the garden.
"But if you ... I could . . ." stammered Lebedeff, "if...if youplease, prince, tell you something on the subject which wouldinterest you, I am sure." He spoke in wheedling tones, andwriggled as he walked along.
Muishkin stopped short.
"Daria Alexeyevna also has a villa at Pavlofsk."
"Well?"
"A certain person is very friendly with her, and intends to visither pretty often."
Well?"
"Aglaya Ivanovna..."
walking slowly across the garden.he?
"Oh stop, Lebedeff!" interposed Muishkin, feeling as if he hadbeen touched on an open wound. "That ... that has nothing to dowith me. I should like to know when you are going to start. Thesooner the better as far as I am concerned, for I am at anhotel."
They had left the garden now, and were crossing the yard on theirway to the gate.
"Well, leave your hotel at once and come here; then we can all gotogether to Pavlofsk the day after tomorrow."
"I will think about it," said the prince dreamily, and went off.
The clerk stood looking after his guest, struck by his suddenabsent-mindedness. He had not even remembered to say goodbye, andLebedeff was the more surprised at the omission, as he knew byexperience how courteous the prince usually was.