白痴 英文版 The Idiot
陀思妥耶夫斯基 Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Idiot X. Page 1
AFTER moistening his lips with the tea which Vera Lebedeffbrought him, Hippolyte set the cup down on the table, and glancedround. He seemed confused and almost at a loss.
; that is all."Lizabetha.Prokofievna.Mr?
"Just look, Lizabetha Prokofievna," he began, with a kind offeverish haste; "these china cups are supposed to be extremelyvaluable. Lebedeff always keeps them locked up in his china-cupboard; they were part of his wife's dowry. Yet he has broughtthem out tonight--in your honour, of course! He is so pleased--"He was about to add something else, but could not find the words.
"There, he is feeling embarrassed; I expected as much," whisperedEvgenie Pavlovitch suddenly in the prince's ear. "It is a badsign; what do you think? Now, out of spite, he will come out withsomething so outrageous that even Lizabetha Prokofievna will notbe able to stand it."
Muishkin looked at him inquiringly.
"Never mind; by-and-by; yes, I am not feeling well," said theprince impatiently, hardly listening. He had just heard Hippolytemention his own name.
"You don't believe it?" said the invalid, with a nervous laugh."I don't wonder, but the prince will have no difficulty inbelieving it; he will not be at all surprised."
"Do you hear, prince--do you hear that?" said LizabethaProkofievna, turning towards him.
There was laughter in the group around her, and Lebedeff stoodbefore her gesticulating wildly.
"He declares that your humbug of a landlord revised thisgentleman's article--the article that was read aloud just now--inwhich you got such a charming dressing-down."
The prince regarded Lebedeff with astonishment.
"Why don't you say something?" cried Lizabetha Prokofievna,stamping her foot.
"Well," murmured the prince, with his eyes still fixed onLebedeff, "I can see now that he did."
"Is it true?" she asked eagerly.
"Absolutely, your excellency," said Lebedeff, without the leasthesitation.
Mrs. Epanchin almost sprang up in amazement at his answer, and atthe assurance of his tone.
"He actually seems to boast of it!" she cried.
"I am base--base!" muttered Lebedeff, beating his breast, andhanging his head.
"What do I care if you are base or not? He thinks he has only tosay, 'I am base,' and there is an end of it. As to you, prince,are you not ashamed?--I repeat, are you not ashamed, to mix withsuch riff-raff? I will never forgive you!"
"The prince will forgive me!" said Lebedeff with emotionalconviction.
Keller suddenly left his seat, and approached Lizabetha.Prokofievna.
"It was only out of generosity, madame," he said in a resonantvoice, "and because I would not betray a friend in an awkwardposition, that I did not mention this revision before; though youheard him yourself threatening to kick us down the steps. Toclear the matter up, I declare now that I did have recourse tohis assistance, and that I paid him six roubles for it. But I didnot ask him to correct my style; I simply went to him forinformation concerning the facts, of which I was ignorant to agreat extent, and which he was competent to give. The story ofthe gaiters, the appetite in the Swiss professor's house, thesubstitution of fifty roubles for two hundred and fifty--all suchdetails, in fact, were got from him. I paid him six roubles forthem; but he did not correct the style."
"I must state that I only revised the first part of the article,"interposed Lebedeff with feverish impatience, while laughter rosefrom all around him; "but we fell out in the middle over oneidea, so I never corrected the second part. Therefore I cannot beheld responsible for the numerous grammatical blunders in it."
"That is all he thinks of!" cried Lizabetha Prokofievna.
"May I ask when this article was revised?" said EvgeniePavlovitch to Keller.
"Yesterday morning," he replied, "we had an interview which weall gave our word of honour to keep secret."
"The very time when he was cringing before you and makingprotestations of devotion! Oh, the mean wretches! I will havenothing to do with your Pushkin, and your daughter shall notset foot in my house!"
Lizabetha Prokofievna was about to rise, when she saw Hippolytelaughing, and turned upon him with irritation.
"Well, sir, I suppose you wanted to make me look ridiculous?"
"Heaven forbid!" he answered, with a forced smile. "But I am morethan ever struck by your eccentricity, Lizabetha Prokofievna. Iadmit that I told you of Lebedeff's duplicity, on purpose. I knewthe effect it would have on you,--on you alone, for the princewill forgive him. He has probably forgiven him already, and isracking his brains to find some excuse for him--is not that thetruth, prince?"
He gasped as he spoke, and his strange agitation seemed toincrease.
"Well?" said Mrs. Epanchin angrily, surprised at his tone; "well,what more?"
"I have heard many things of the kind about you ...theydelighted me... I have learned to hold you in the highestesteem," continued Hippolyte.
His words seemed tinged with a kind of sarcastic mockery, yet hewas extremely agitated, casting suspicious glances around him,growing confused, and constantly losing the thread of his ideas.All this, together with his consumptive appearance, and thefrenzied expression of his blazing eyes, naturally attracted theattention of everyone present.
"I might have been surprised (though I admit I know nothing ofthe world), not only that you should have stayed on just now inthe company of such people as myself and my friends, who are notof your class, but that you should let these ... young ladieslisten to such a scandalous affair, though no doubt novel-readinghas taught them all there is to know. I may be mistaken; I hardlyknow what I am saying; but surely no one but you would havestayed to please a whippersnapper (yes, a whippersnapper; I admitit) to spend the evening and take part in everything--only to beashamed of it tomorrow. (I know I express myself badly.) Iadmire and appreciate it all extremely, though the expression onthe face of his excellency, your husband, shows that he thinks itvery improper. He-he!" He burst out laughing, and was seized witha fit of coughing which lasted for two minutes and prevented himfrom speaking.
"He has lost his breath now!" said Lizabetha Prokofievna coldly,looking at him with more curiosity than pity: "Come, my dear boy,that is quite enough--let us make an end of this."
Ivan Fedorovitch, now quite out of patience, interruptedsuddenly. "Let me remark in my turn, sir," he said in tones ofdeep annoyance, "that my wife is here as the guest of Prince LefNicolaievitch, our friend and neighbour, and that in any case,young man, it is not for you to pass judgment on the conduct ofLizabetha Prokofievna, or to make remarks aloud in my presenceconcerning what feelings you think may be read in my face. Yes,my wife stayed here," continued the general, with increasingirritation, "more out of amazement than anything else. Everyonecan understand that a collection of such strange young men wouldattract the attention of a person interested in contemporarylife. I stayed myself, just as I sometimes stop to look on in thestreet when I see something that may be regarded as-as-as-"
"As a curiosity," suggested Evgenie Pavlovitch, seeing hisexcellency involved in a comparison which he could not complete.
"That is exactly the word I wanted," said the general withsatisfaction--" a curiosity. However, the most astonishing and,if I may so express myself, the most painful, thing in thismatter, is that you cannot even understand, young man, thatLizabetha Prokofievna, only stayed with you because you are ill,--if you really are dying--moved by the pity awakened by yourplaintive appeal, and that her name, character, and socialposition place her above all risk of contamination. LizabethaProkofievna!" he continued, now crimson with rage, "if you arecoming, we will say goodnight to the prince, and--"
"Thank you for the lesson, general," said Hippolyte, withunexpected gravity, regarding him thoughtfully.
"Two minutes more, if you please, dear Ivan Fedorovitch," saidLizabetha Prokofievna to her husband; "it seems to me that he isin a fever and delirious; you can see by his eyes what a state heis in; it is impossible to let him go back to Petersburgtonight. Can you put him up, Lef Nicolaievitch? I hope you are notbored, dear prince," she added suddenly to Prince S. "Alexandra,my dear, come here! Your hair is coming down."
She arranged her daughter's hair, which was not in the leastdisordered, and gave her a kiss. This was all that she had calledher for.
"I thought you were capable of development," said Hippolyte,coming out of his fit of abstraction. "Yes, that is what I meantto say," he added, with the satisfaction of one who suddenlyremembers something he had forgotten. "Here is Burdovsky,sincerely anxious to protect his mother; is not that so? And hehimself is the cause of her disgrace. The prince is anxious tohelp Burdovsky and offers him friendship and a large sum ofmoney, in the sincerity of his heart. And here they stand liketwo sworn enemies--ha, ha, ha! You all hate Burdovsky because hisbehaviour with regard to his mother is shocking and repugnant toyou; do you not? Is not that true? Is it not true? You all have apassion for beauty and distinction in outward forms; that is allyou care for, isn't it? I have suspected for a long time that youcared for nothing else! Well, let me tell you that perhaps thereis not one of you who loved your mother as Burdovsky loved his.As to you, prince, I know that you have sent money secretly toBurdovsky's mother through Gania. Well, I bet now," he continuedwith an hysterical laugh, "that Burdovsky will accuse you ofindelicacy, and reproach you with a want of respect for hismother! Yes, that is quite certain! Ha, ha, ha!"
He caught his breath, and began to cough once more.
"Come, that is enough! That is all now; you have no more to say?Now go to bed; you are burning with fever," said LizabethaProkofievna impatiently. Her anxious eyes had never left theinvalid. "Good heavens, he is going to begin again!"
"You are laughing, I think? Why do you keep laughing at me?" saidHippolyte irritably to Evgenie Pavlovitch, who certainly waslaughing.
"I only want to know, Mr. Hippolyte--excuse me, I forget yoursurname."
"Mr. Terentieff," said the prince.
"Oh yes, Mr. Terentieff. Thank you prince. I heard it just now,but had forgotten it. I want to know, Mr. Terentieff, if what Ihave heard about you is true. It seems you are convinced that ifyou could speak to the people from a window for a quarter of anhour, you could make them all adopt your views and follow you?"
"I may have said so," answered Hippolyte, as if trying toremember. "Yes, I certainly said so," he continued with suddenanimation, fixing an unflinching glance on his questioner. "Whatof it?"
"Nothing. I was only seeking further information, to put thefinishing touch."Evgenie Pavlovitch was silent, but Hippolyte kept his eyes fixedupon him, waiting impatiently for more.
gesture took Evgenie Pavlovitch by surprise, butwith the utmost gravity.
"Well, have you finished?" said Lizabetha Prokofievna to Evgenie."Make haste, sir; it is time he went to bed. Have you more tosay?" She was very angry.
"Yes, I have a little more," said Evgenie Pavlovitch, with asmile. "It seems to me that all you and your friends have said,Mr. Terentieff, and all you have just put forward with suchundeniable talent, may be summed up in the triumph of right aboveall, independent of everything else, to the exclusion ofeverything else; perhaps even before having discovered whatconstitutes the right. I may be mistaken?"
"You are certainly mistaken; I do not even understand you. Whatelse?"
Murmurs arose in the neighbourhood of Burdovsky and hiscompanions; Lebedeff's nephew protested under his breath.
"I have nearly finished," replied Evgenie Pavlovitch.
"I will only remark that from these premisses one could concludethat might is right--I mean the right of the clenched fist, and ofpersonal inclination. Indeed, the world has often come to thatconclusion. Prudhon upheld that might is right. In the AmericanWar some of the most advanced Liberals took sides with theplanters on the score that the blacks were an inferior race tothe whites, and that might was the right of the white race."
"Well?"
"You mean, no doubt, that you do not deny that might is right?"
"What then?"
"You are at least logical. I would only point out that from theright of might, to the right of tigers and crocodiles, or evenDaniloff and Gorsky, is but a step."
"I know nothing about that; what else?"
tothe trees in the park. "It is not ridiculous, is.
"Why, nothing else; that is all."
"However, I bear you no grudge," said Hippolyte suddenly, and,hardly conscious of what he was doing, he held out his hand witha smile. The gesture took Evgenie Pavlovitch by surprise, butwith the utmost gravity he touched the hand that was offered himin token of forgiveness.
"I can but thank you," he said, in a tone too respectful to besincere, "for your kindness in letting me speak, for I have oftennoticed that our Liberals never allow other people to have anopinion of their own, and immediately answer their opponents withabuse, if they do not have recourse to arguments of a still moreunpleasant nature."
"What you say is quite true," observed General Epanchin; then,clasping his hands behind his back, he returned to his place onthe terrace steps, where he yawned with an air of boredom.
"Come, sir, that will do; you weary me," said LizabethaProkofievna suddenly to Evgenie Pavlovitch.
Hippolyte rose all at once, looking troubled and almostfrightened.
"It is time for me to go," he said, glancing round in perplexity."I have detained you... I wanted to tell you everything... Ithought you all ... for the last time ... it was a whim..."
He evidently had sudden fits of returning animation, when heawoke from his semi-delirium; then, recovering full self-possession for a few moments, he would speak, in disconnectedphrases which had perhaps haunted him for a long while on his bedof suffering, during weary, sleepless nights.
"Well, good-bye," he said abruptly. "You think it is easy for meto say good-bye to you? Ha, ha!"
Feeling that his question was somewhat gauche, he smiled angrily.Then as if vexed that he could not ever express what he reallymeant, he said irritably, in a loud voice:
base--base!" muttered Lebedeff, beating his breast, andhanging.
"Excellency, I have the honour of inviting you to my funeral;that is, if you will deign to honour it with your presence. Iinvite you all, gentlemen, as well as the general."
He burst out laughing again, but it was the laughter of a madman.Lizabetha Prokofievna approached him anxiously and seized hisarm. He stared at her for a moment, still laughing, but soon hisface grew serious.
"Do you know that I came here to see those trees?" pointing tothe trees in the park. "It is not ridiculous, is it? Say that itis not ridiculous!" he demanded urgently of LizabethaProkofievna. Then he seemed to be plunged in thought. A momentlater he raised his head, and his eyes sought for someone. He waslooking for Evgenie Pavlovitch, who was close by on his right asbefore, but he had forgotten this, and his eyes ranged over theassembled company. "Ah! you have not gone!" he said, when hecaught sight of him at last. "You kept on laughing just now,because I thought of speaking to the people from the window for aquarter of an hour. But I am not eighteen, you know; lying onthat bed, and looking out of that window, I have thought of allsorts of things for such a long time that ... a dead man has noage, you know. I was saying that to myself only last week, when Iwas awake in the night. Do you know what you fear most? You fearour sincerity more than anything, although you despise us! Theidea crossed my mind that night... You thought I was makingfun of you just now, Lizabetha Prokofievna? No, the idea ofmockery was far from me; I only meant to praise you. Colia toldme the prince called you a child--very well--but let me see, Ihad something else to say..." He covered his face with hishands and tried to collect his thoughts.
you hear that?" said LizabethaProkofievna!
"Ah, yes--you were going away just now, and I thought to myself:'I shall never see these people again-never again! This is thelast time I shall see the trees, too. I shall see nothing afterthis but the red brick wall of Meyer's house opposite my window.Tell them about it--try to tell them,' I thought. 'Here is abeautiful young girl--you are a dead man; make them understandthat. Tell them that a dead man may say anything--and Mrs. Grundywill not be angry--ha-ha! You are not laughing?" He lookedanxiously around. "But you know I get so many queer ideas, lyingthere in bed. I have grown convinced that nature is full ofmockery--you called me an atheist just now, but you know thisnature ... why are you laughing again? You are very cruel!" headded suddenly, regarding them all with mournful reproach. "Ihave not corrupted Colia," he concluded in a different and veryserious tone, as if remembering something again.
"Nobody here is laughing at you. Calm yourself" said LizabethaProkofievna, much moved. "You shall see a new doctor tomorrow;the other was mistaken; but sit down, do not stand like that! Youare delirious--Oh, what shall we do with him she cried inanguish, as she made him sit down again in the arm-chair.
A tear glistened on her cheek. At the sight of it Hippolyteseemed amazed. He lifted his hand timidly and, touched the tearwith his finger, smiling like a child.
"I ... you," he began joyfully. "You cannot tell how I ... healways spoke so enthusiastically of you, Colia here; I liked hisenthusiasm. I was not corrupting him! But I must leave him, too--I wanted to leave them all--there was not one of them--not one! Iwanted to be a man of action--I had a right to be. Oh! what alot of things I wanted! Now I want nothing; I renounce all mywants; I swore to myself that I would want nothing; let them seekthe truth without me! Yes, nature is full of mockery! Why"--hecontinued with sudden warmth--"does she create the choicestbeings only to mock at them? The only human being who isrecognized as perfect, when nature showed him to mankind, wasgiven the mission to say things which have caused the shedding ofso much blood that it would have drowned mankind if it had allbeen shed at once! Oh! it is better for me to die! I should tellsome dreadful lie too; nature would so contrive it! I havecorrupted nobody. I wanted to live for the happiness of all men,to find and spread the truth. I used to look out of my window atthe wall of Meyer's house, and say to myself that if I couldspeak for a quarter of an hour I would convince the whole world,and now for once in my life I have come into contact with ...you--if not with the others! And what is the result? Nothing! Thesole result is that you despise me! Therefore I must be a fool, Iam useless, it is time I disappeared! And I shall leave not evena memory! Not a sound, not a trace, not a single deed! I have notspread a single truth! ... Do not laugh at the fool! Forgethim! Forget him forever! I beseech you, do not be so cruel as toremember! Do you know that if I were not consumptive, I wouldkill myself?"