白痴 英文版 The Idiot
陀思妥耶夫斯基 Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Idiot IV. Page 2
And it was at this moment that General Epanchin began to play solarge and important a part in the story.
When Totski had approached the general with his request forfriendly counsel as to a marriage with one of his daughters, hehad made a full and candid confession. He had said that heintended to stop at no means to obtain his freedom; even ifNastasia were to promise to leave him entirely alone in future,he would not (he said) believe and trust her; words were notenough for him; he must have solid guarantees of some sort. So heand the general determined to try what an attempt to appeal toher heart would effect. Having arrived at Nastasia's house oneday, with Epanchin, Totski immediately began to speak of theintolerable torment of his position. He admitted that he was toblame for all, but candidly confessed that he could not bringhimself to feel any remorse for his original guilt towardsherself, because he was a man of sensual passions which wereinborn and ineradicable, and that he had no power over himself inthis respect; but that he wished, seriously, to marry at last,and that the whole fate of the most desirable social union whichhe contemplated, was in her hands; in a word, he confided his allto her generosity of heart.
General Epanchin took up his part and spoke in the character offather of a family; he spoke sensibly, and without wasting wordsover any attempt at sentimentality, he merely recorded his fulladmission of her right to be the arbiter of Totski's destiny atthis moment. He then pointed out that the fate of his daughter,and very likely of both his other daughters, now hung upon herreply.
To Nastasia's question as to what they wished her to do, Totskiconfessed that he had been so frightened by her, five years ago,that he could never now be entirely comfortable until she herselfmarried. He immediately added that such a suggestion from himwould, of course, be absurd, unless accompanied by remarks of amore pointed nature. He very well knew, he said, that a certainyoung gentleman of good family, namely, Gavrila ArdalionovitchIvolgin, with whom she was acquainted, and whom she received ather house, had long loved her passionately, and would give hislife for some response from her. The young fellow had confessedthis love of his to him (Totski) and had also admitted it in thehearing of his benefactor, General Epanchin. Lastly, he could nothelp being of opinion that Nastasia must be aware of Gania's lovefor her, and if he (Totski) mistook not, she had looked with somefavour upon it, being often lonely, and rather tired of herpresent life. Having remarked how difficult it was for him, ofall people, to speak to her of these matters, Totski concluded bysaying that he trusted Nastasia Philipovna would not look withcontempt upon him if he now expressed his sincere desire toguarantee her future by a gift of seventy-five thousand roubles.He added that the sum would have been left her all the same inhis will, and that therefore she must not consider the gift as inany way an indemnification to her for anything, but that therewas no reason, after all, why a man should not be allowed toentertain a natural desire to lighten his conscience, etc., etc.;in fact, all that would naturally be said under the circumstances.Totski was very eloquent all through, and, in conclusion, justtouched on the fact that not a soul in the world, not evenGeneral Epanchin, had ever heard a word about the aboveseventy-five thousand roubles, and that this was the firsttime he had ever given expression to his intentions in respectto them.
Nastasia Philipovna's reply to this long rigmarole astonishedboth the friends considerably.
Not only was there no trace of her former irony, of her oldhatred and enmity, and of that dreadful laughter, the veryrecollection of which sent a cold chill down Totski's back tothis very day; but she seemed charmed and really glad to have theopportunity of talking seriously with him for once in a way. Sheconfessed that she had long wished to have a frank and freeconversation and to ask for friendly advice, but that pride hadhitherto prevented her; now, however, that the ice was broken,nothing could be more welcome to her than this opportunity.
First, with a sad smile, and then with a twinkle of merriment inher eyes, she admitted that such a storm as that of five yearsago was now quite out of the question. She said that she had longsince changed her views of things, and recognized that facts mustbe taken into consideration in spite of the feelings of theheart. What was done was done and ended, and she could notunderstand why Totski should still feel alarmed.
She next turned to General Epanchin and observed, mostcourteously, that she had long since known of his daughters, andthat she had heard none but good report; that she had learned tothink of them with deep and sincere respect. The idea alone thatshe could in any way serve them, would be to her both a pride anda source of real happiness.
It was true that she was lonely in her present life; Totski hadjudged her thoughts aright. She longed to rise, if not to love,at least to family life and new hopes and objects, but as toGavrila Ardalionovitch, she could not as yet say much. Shethought it must be the case that he loved her; she felt that shetoo might learn to love him, if she could be sure of the firmnessof his attachment to herself; but he was very young, and it was adifficult question to decide. What she specially liked about himwas that he worked, and supported his family by his toil.
She had heard that he was proud and ambitious; she had heard muchthat was interesting of his mother and sister, she had heard ofthem from Mr. Ptitsin, and would much like to make theiracquaintance, but--another question!--would they like to receiveher into their house? At all events, though she did not rejectthe idea of this marriage, she desired not to be hurried. As forthe seventy-five thousand roubles, Mr. Totski need not have foundany difficulty or awkwardness about the matter; she quiteunderstood the value of money, and would, of course, accept thegift. She thanked him for his delicacy, however, but saw noreason why Gavrila Ardalionovitch should not know about it.
She would not marry the latter, she said, until she feltpersuaded that neither on his part nor on the part of his familydid there exist any sort of concealed suspicions as to herself.She did not intend to ask forgiveness for anything in the past,which fact she desired to be known. She did not consider herselfto blame for anything that had happened in former years, and shethought that Gavrila Ardalionovitch should be informed as to therelations which had existed between herself and Totski during thelast five years. If she accepted this money it was not to beconsidered as indemnification for her misfortune as a young girl,which had not been in any degree her own fault, but merely ascompensation for her ruined life.
She became so excited and agitated during all these explanationsand confessions that General Epanchin was highly gratified, andconsidered the matter satisfactorily arranged once for all. Butthe once bitten Totski was twice shy, and looked for hiddensnakes among the flowers. However, the special point to which thetwo friends particularly trusted to bring about their object(namely, Gania's attractiveness for Nastasia Philipovna), stoodout more and more prominently; the pourparlers had commenced, andgradually even Totski began to believe in the possibility ofsuccess.
Before long Nastasia and Gania had talked the matter over. Verylittle was said--her modesty seemed to suffer under the inflictionof discussing such a question. But she recognized his love, onthe understanding that she bound herself to nothing whatever, andthat she reserved the right to say "no" up to the very hour ofthe marriage ceremony. Gania was to have the same right ofrefusal at the last moment.
It soon became clear to Gania, after scenes of wrath andquarrellings at the domestic hearth, that his family wereseriously opposed to the match, and that Nastasia was aware ofthis fact was equally evident. She said nothing about it, thoughhe daily expected her to do so.
There were several rumours afloat, before long, which upsetTotski's equanimity a good deal, but we will not now stop todescribe them; merely mentioning an instance or two. One was thatNastasia had entered into close and secret relations with theEpanchin girls--a most unlikely rumour; another was that Nastasiahad long satisfied herself of the fact that Gania was merelymarrying her for money, and that his nature was gloomy andgreedy, impatient and selfish, to an extraordinary degree; andthat although he had been keen enough in his desire to achieve aconquest before, yet since the two friends had agreed to exploithis passion for their own purposes, it was clear enough that hehad begun to consider the whole thing a nuisance and a nightmare.
In his heart passion and hate seemed to hold divided sway, andalthough he had at last given his consent to marry the woman (ashe said), under the stress of circumstances, yet he promisedhimself that he would "take it out of her," after marriage.
Nastasia seemed to Totski to have divined all this, and to bepreparing something on her own account, which frightened him tosuch an extent that he did not dare communicate his views even tothe general. But at times he would pluck up his courage and befull of hope and good spirits again, acting, in fact, as weak mendo act in such circumstances.
However, both the friends felt that the thing looked rosy indeedwhen one day Nastasia informed them that she would give her finalanswer on the evening of her birthday, which anniversary was duein a very short time.
A strange rumour began to circulate, meanwhile; no less than thatthe respectable and highly respected General Epanchin was himselfso fascinated by Nastasia Philipovna that his feeling for heramounted almost to passion. What he thought to gain by Gania'smarriage to the girl it was difficult to imagine. Possibly hecounted on Gania's complaisance; for Totski had long suspectedthat there existed some secret understanding between the generaland his secretary. At all events the fact was known that he hadprepared a magnificent present of pearls for Nastasia's birthday,and that he was looking forward to the occasion when he shouldpresent his gift with the greatest excitement and impatience. Theday before her birthday he was in a fever of agitation.
Mrs. Epanchin, long accustomed to her husband's infidelities, hadheard of the pearls, and the rumour excited her liveliestcuriosity and interest. The general remarked her suspicions, andfelt that a grand explanation must shortly take place--which factalarmed him much.
This is the reason why he was so unwilling to take lunch (on themorning upon which we took up this narrative) with the rest ofhis family. Before the prince's arrival he had made up his mindto plead business, and "cut" the meal; which simply meant runningaway.
He was particularly anxious that this one day should be passed--especially the evening--without unpleasantness between himselfand his family; and just at the right moment the prince turnedup--"as though Heaven had sent him on purpose," said the generalto himself, as he left the study to seek out the wife of hisbosom.