白痴 英文版 The Idiot
陀思妥耶夫斯基 Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Idiot II.
HIPPOLYTE had now been five days at the Ptitsins'. His flittingfrom the prince's to these new quarters had been brought aboutquite naturally and without many words. He did not quarrel withthe prince--in fact, they seemed to part as friends. Gania, whohad been hostile enough on that eventful evening, had himselfcome to see him a couple of days later, probably in obedience tosome sudden impulse. For some reason or other, Rogojin too hadbegun to visit the sick boy. The prince thought it might bebetter for him to move away from his (the prince's) house.Hippolyte informed him, as he took his leave, that Ptitsin "hadbeen kind enough to offer him a corner," and did not say a wordabout Gania, though Gania had procured his invitation, andhimself came to fetch him away. Gania noticed this at the time,and put it to Hippolyte's debit on account.
Gania was right when he told his sister that Hippolyte wasgetting better; that he was better was clear at the first glance.He entered the room now last of all, deliberately, and with adisagreeable smile on his lips.
Nina Alexandrovna came in, looking frightened. She had changedmuch since we last saw her, half a year ago, and had grown thinand pale. Colia looked worried and perplexed. He could notunderstand the vagaries of the general, and knew nothing of thelast achievement of that worthy, which had caused so muchcommotion in the house. But he could see that his father had oflate changed very much, and that he had begun to behave in soextraordinary a fashion both at home and abroad that he was notlike the same man. What perplexed and disturbed him as much asanything was that his father had entirely given up drinkingduring the last few days. Colia knew that he had quarrelled withboth Lebedeff and the prince, and had just bought a small bottleof vodka and brought it home for his father.
"Really, mother," he had assured Nina Alexandrovna upstairs,"really you had better let him drink. He has not had a drop forthree days; he must be suffering agonies--The general now enteredthe room, threw the door wide open, and stood on the thresholdtrembling with indignation.
"Look here, my dear sir," he began, addressing Ptitsin in a veryloud tone of voice; "if you have really made up your mind tosacrifice an old man--your father too or at all events father ofyour wife--an old man who has served his emperor--to a wretchedlittle atheist like this, all I can say is, sir, my foot shallcease to tread your floors. Make your choice, sir; make yourchoice quickly, if you please! Me or this--screw! Yes, screw,sir; I said it accidentally, but let the word stand--this screw,for he screws and drills himself into my soul--"
"Hadn't you better say corkscrew?" said Hippolyte.
"No, sir, NOT corkscrew. I am a general, not a bottle, sir. Makeyour choice, sir--me or him."
Here Colia handed him a chair, and he subsided into it,breathless with rage.
"Hadn't you better--better--take a nap?" murmured the stupefiedPtitsin.
"A nap?" shrieked the general. "I am not drunk, sir; you insultme! I see," he continued, rising, "I see that all are against mehere. Enough--I go; but know, sirs--know that--"
He was not allowed to finish his sentence. Somebody pushed himback into his chair, and begged him to be calm. Nina Alexandrovnatrembled, and cried quietly. Gania retired to the window indisgust.
"But what have I done? What is his grievance?" asked Hippolyte,grinning.
"What have you done, indeed?" put in Nina Alexandrovna. "Youought to be ashamed of yourself, teasing an old man like that--and in your position, too."
"And pray what IS my position, madame? I have the greatestrespect for you, personally; but--"
"He's a little screw," cried the general; "he drills holes myheart and soul. He wishes me to be a pervert to atheism. Know,you young greenhorn, that I was covered with honours before everyou were born; and you are nothing better than a wretched littleworm, torn in two with coughing, and dying slowly of your ownmalice and unbelief. What did Gavrila bring you over here for?They're all against me, even to my own son--all against me."
"Oh, come--nonsense!" cried Gania; "if you did not go shaming usall over the town, things might be better for all parties."
"What--shame you? I?--what do you mean, you young calf? I shameyou? I can only do you honour, sir; I cannot shame you."
He jumped up from his chair in a fit of uncontrollable rage.Gania was very angry too.
"Honour, indeed!" said the latter, with contempt.
"What do you say, sir?" growled the general, taking a steptowards him.
"I say that I have but to open my mouth, and you--"
Gania began, but did not finish. The two--father and son--stoodbefore one another, both unspeakably agitated, especially Gania.
"Gania, Gania, reflect!" cried his mother, hurriedly.
"It's all nonsense on both sides," snapped out Varia. "Let themalone, mother."
"It's only for mother's sake that I spare him," said Gania,tragically.
"Speak!" said the general, beside himself with rage andexcitement; "speak--under the penalty of a father's curse
"Oh, father's curse be hanged--you don't frighten me that way!"said Gania. "Whose fault is it that you have been as mad as aMarch hare all this week? It is just a week--you see, I count thedays. Take care now; don't provoke me too much, or I'll tell all.Why did you go to the Epanchins' yesterday--tell me that? And youcall yourself an old man, too, with grey hair, and father of afamily! H'm--nice sort of a father."
"Be quiet, Gania," cried Colia. "Shut up, you fool!"
"Yes, but how have I offended him?" repeated Hippolyte, stillin the same jeering voice. " Why does he call me a screw? You allheard it. He came to me himself and began telling me about someCaptain Eropegoff. I don't wish for your company, general. Ialways avoided you--you know that. What have I to do withCaptain Eropegoff? All I did was to express my opinion thatprobably Captain Eropegoff never existed at all!"
"Of course he never existed!" Gania interrupted.
But the general only stood stupefied and gazed around in a dazedway. Gania's speech had impressed him, with its terrible candour.For the first moment or two he could find no words to answer him,and it was only when Hippolyte burst out laughing, and said:
"There, you see! Even your own son supports my statement thatthere never was such a person as Captain Eropegoff!" that the oldfellow muttered confusedly:
"Kapiton Eropegoff--not Captain Eropegoff!--Kapiton--majorretired--Eropegoff--Kapiton."
"Kapiton didn't exist either!" persisted Gania, maliciously.
"What? Didn't exist?" cried the poor general, and a deep blushsuffused his face.
be back here in half an ?
"That'll do, Gania!" cried Varia and Ptitsin.
"Shut up, Gania!" said Colia.
But this intercession seemed to rekindle the general.
"What did you mean, sir, that he didn't exist? Explain yourself,"he repeated, angrily.
"Because he DIDN'T exist--never could and never did--there! You'dbetter drop the subject, I warn you!"
"And this is my son--my own son--whom I--oh, gracious Heaven!Eropegoff--Eroshka Eropegoff didn't exist!"
"Ha, ha! it's Eroshka now," laughed Hippolyte.
"No, sir, Kapitoshka--not Eroshka. I mean, Kapiton Alexeyevitch--retired major--married Maria Petrovna Lu--Lu--he was my friendand companion--Lutugoff--from our earliest beginnings. I closedhis eyes for him--he was killed. Kapiton Eropegoff never existed!tfu!"
The general shouted in his fury; but it was to be concluded thathis wrath was not kindled by the expressed doubt as to Kapiton'sexistence. This was his scapegoat; but his excitement was causedby something quite different. As a rule he would have merelyshouted down the doubt as to Kapiton, told a long yarn about hisfriend, and eventually retired upstairs to his room. But today,in the strange uncertainty of human nature, it seemed to requirebut so small an offence as this to make his cup to overflow. Theold man grew purple in the face, he raised his hands. "Enough ofthis!" he yelled. "My curse--away, out of the house I go! Colia,bring my bag away!" He left the room hastily and in a paroxysm ofrage.
His wife, Colia, and Ptitsin ran out after him.
"What have you done now?" said Varia to Gania. "He'll probably bemaking off THERE again! What a disgrace it all is!"
"Well, he shouldn't steal," cried Gania, panting with fury. Andjust at this moment his eye met Hippolyte's.
"As for you, sir," he cried, "you should at least remember thatyou are in a strange house and--receiving hospitality; you shouldnot take the opportunity of tormenting an old man, sir, who istoo evidently out of his mind."
Hippolyte looked furious, but he restrained himself.
"I don't quite agree with you that your father is out of hismind," he observed, quietly. "On the contrary, I cannot helpthinking he has been less demented of late. Don't you think so?He has grown so cunning and careful, and weighs his words sodeliberately; he spoke to me about that Kapiton fellow with anobject, you know! Just fancy--he wanted me to--"
"Oh, devil take what he wanted you to do! Don't try to be toocunning with me, young man!" shouted Gania. "If you are aware ofthe real reason for my father's present condition (and you havekept such an excellent spying watch during these last few daysthat you are sure to be aware of it)--you had no right whateverto torment the--unfortunate man, and to worry my mother by yourexaggerations of the affair; because the whole business isnonsense--simply a drunken freak, and nothing more, quiteunproved by any evidence, and I don't believe that much of it!"(he snapped his fingers). "But you must needs spy and watch overus all, because you are a-a--"
"Screw!" laughed Hippolyte.
"Because you are a humbug, sir; and thought fit to worry peoplefor half an hour, and tried to frighten them into believing thatyou would shoot yourself with your little empty pistol,pirouetting about and playing at suicide! I gave you hospitality,you have fattened on it, your cough has left you, and you repayall this--"
"Excuse me--two words! I am Varvara Ardalionovna's guest, notyours; YOU have extended no hospitality to me. On the contrary,if I am not mistaken, I believe you are yourself indebted to Mr.Ptitsin's hospitality. Four days ago I begged my mother to comedown here and find lodgings, because I certainly do feel betterhere, though I am not fat, nor have I ceased to cough. I amtoday informed that my room is ready for me; therefore, havingthanked your sister and mother for their kindness to me, I intendto leave the house this evening. I beg your pardon--I interruptedyou--I think you were about to add something?"
"Oh--if that is the state of affairs--" began Gania.
excellent spying watch during these.
"Excuse me--I will take a seat," interrupted Hippolyte once more,sitting down deliberately; "for I am not strong yet. Now then, Iam ready to hear you. Especially as this is the last chance weshall have of a talk, and very likely the last meeting we shallever have at all."
he had begun to behave in soextraordinary a fashion both.
Gania felt a little guilty.
"I assure you I did not mean to reckon up debits and credits," hebegan, "and if you--"
"I don't understand your condescension," said Hippolyte. "As forme, I promised myself, on the first day of my arrival in thishouse, that I would have the satisfaction of settling accountswith you in a very thorough manner before I said good-bye to you.I intend to perform this operation now, if you like; after you,though, of course."
"May I ask you to be so good as to leave this room?"
"You'd better speak out. You'll be sorry afterwards if youdon't."
"Hippolyte, stop, please! It's so dreadfully undignified," saidVaria.
"Well, only for the sake of a lady," said Hippolyte, laughing. "Iam ready to put off the reckoning, but only put it off, VarvaraArdalionovna, because an explanation between your brother andmyself has become an absolute necessity, and I could not think ofleaving the house without clearing up all misunderstandingsfirst."
"In a word, you are a wretched little scandal-monger," criedGania, "and you cannot go away without a scandal!"
"You see," said Hippolyte, coolly, " you can't restrain yourself.You'll be dreadfully sorry afterwards if you don't speak out now.Come, you shall have the first say. I'll wait."
Gania was silent and merely looked contemptuously at him.
"You won't? Very well. I shall be as short as possible, for mypart. Two or three times to-day I have had the word 'hospitality'pushed down my throat; this is not fair. In inviting me here youyourself entrapped me for your own use; you thought I wished torevenge myself upon the prince. You heard that Aglaya Ivanovnahad been kind to me and read my confession. Making sure that Ishould give myself up to your interests, you hoped that you mightget some assistance out of me. I will not go into details. Idon't ask either admission or confirmation of this from yourself;I am quite content to leave you to your conscience, and to feelthat we understand one another capitally."
"What a history you are weaving out of the most ordinarycircumstances!" cried Varia.
"I told you the fellow was nothing but a scandalmonger," saidGania.
"Excuse me, Varia Ardalionovna, I will proceed. I can, of course,neither love nor respect the prince, though he is a good-heartedfellow, if a little queer. But there is no need whatever for meto hate him. I quite understood your brother when he firstoffered me aid against the prince, though I did not show it; Iknew well that your brother was making a ridiculous mistake inme. I am ready to spare him, however, even now; but solely out ofrespect for yourself, Varvara Ardalionovna.
"Having now shown you that I am not quite such a fool as I look,and that I have to be fished for with a rod and line for a goodlong while before I am caught, I will proceed to explain why Ispecially wished to make your brother look a fool. That my motivepower is hate, I do not attempt to conceal. I have felt thatbefore dying (and I am dying, however much fatter I may appear toyou), I must absolutely make a fool of, at least, one of thatclass of men which has dogged me all my life, which I hate socordially, and which is so prominently represented by your muchesteemed brother. I should not enjoy paradise nearly so muchwithout having done this first. I hate you, GavrilaArdalionovitch, solely (this may seem curious to you, but Irepeat)--solely because you are the type, and incarnation, andhead, and crown of the most impudent, the most self-satisfied,the most vulgar and detestable form of commonplaceness. You areordinary of the ordinary; you have no chance of ever fatheringthe pettiest idea of your own. And yet you are as jealous andconceited as you can possibly be; you consider yourself a greatgenius; of this you are persuaded, although there are darkmoments of doubt and rage, when even this fact seems uncertain.There are spots of darkness on your horizon, though they willdisappear when you become completely stupid. But a long andchequered path lies before you, and of this I am glad. In thefirst place you will never gain a certain person."
"Come, come! This is intolerable! You had better stop, you littlemischief-making wretch!" cried Varia. Gania had grown very pale;he trembled, but said nothing.
Hippolyte paused, and looked at him intently and with greatgratification. He then turned his gaze upon Varia, bowed, andwent out, without adding another word.
Gania might justly complain of the hardness with which fatetreated him. Varia dared not speak to him for a long while, as hestrode past her, backwards and forwards. At last he went andstood at the window, looking out, with his back turned towardsher. There was a fearful row going on upstairs again.
"Are you off?" said Gania, suddenly, remarking that she had risenand was about to leave the room. "Wait a moment--look at this."
He approached the table and laid a small sheet of paper beforeher. It looked like a little note.
"Good heavens!" cried Varia, raising her hands.
This was the note:
"GAVRILA ARDOLIONOVITCH,--persuaded of your kindness of heart, Ihave determined to ask your advice on a matter of greatimportance to myself. I should like to meet you tomorrow morningat seven o'clock by the green bench in the park. It is not farfrom our house. Varvara Ardalionovna, who must accompany you,knows the place well.
"A. E."
"What on earth is one to make of a girl like that?" said Varia.
Gania, little as he felt inclined for swagger at this moment,could not avoid showing his triumph, especially just after suchhumiliating remarks as those of Hippolyte. A smile of self-satisfaction beamed on his face, and Varia too was brimming overwith delight.
"And this is the very day that they were to announce theengagement! What will she do next?"
"What do you suppose she wants to talk about tomorrow?" askedGania.
"Oh, THAT'S all the same! The chief thing is that she wants tosee you after six months' absence. Look here, Gania, this is aSERIOUS business. Don't swagger again and lose the game--playcarefully, but don't funk, do you understand? As if she couldpossibly avoid seeing what I have been working for all this lastsix months! And just imagine, I was there this morning and not aword of this! I was there, you know, on the sly. The old lady didnot know, or she would have kicked me out. I ran some risk foryou, you see. I did so want to find out, at all hazards."
Here there was a frantic noise upstairs once more; several peopleseemed to be rushing downstairs at once.
"Now, Gania," cried Varia, frightened, "we can't let him go out!We can't afford to have a breath of scandal about the town atthis moment. Run after him and beg his pardon--quick."
But the father of the family was out in the road already. Coliawas carrying his bag for him; Nina Alexandrovna stood and criedon the doorstep; she wanted to run after the general, but Ptitsinkept her back.
"You will only excite him more," he said. "He has nowhere else togo to--he'll be back here in half an hour. I've talked it allover with Colia; let him play the fool a bit, it will do himgood."
"What are you up to? Where are you off to? You've nowhere to goto, you know," cried Gania, out of the window.
"Come back, father; the neighbours will hear!" cried Varia.
The general stopped, turned round, raised his hands and remarked:"My curse be upon this house!"
"Which observation should always be made in as theatrical a toneas possible," muttered Gania, shutting the window with a bang.
The neighbours undoubtedly did hear. Varia rushed out of theroom.
No sooner had his sister left him alone, than Gania took the noteout of his pocket, kissed it, and pirouetted around.