白痴 英文版 The Idiot
陀思妥耶夫斯基 Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Idiot X. Page 2
"What am I doing? What am I doing to you?" she sobbedconvulsively, embracing his knees.
The prince was a whole hour soothing and comforting her, and lefther, at length, pacified and composed. He sent another messengerduring the night to inquire after her, and two more next morning.The last brought back a message that Nastasia was surrounded by awhole army of dressmakers and maids, and was as happy and as busyas such a beauty should be on her wedding morning, and that therewas not a vestige of yesterday's agitation remaining. The messageconcluded with the news that at the moment of the bearer'sdeparture there was a great confabulation in progress as to whichdiamonds were to be worn, and how.
This message entirely calmed the prince's mind.
The following report of the proceedings on the wedding day may bedepended upon, as coming from eye-witnesses.
The wedding was fixed for eight o'clock in the evening. NastasiaPhilipovna was ready at seven. From six o'clock groups of peoplebegan to gather at Nastasia's house, at the prince's, and at thechurch door, but more especially at the former place. The churchbegan to fill at seven.
Colia and Vera Lebedeff were very anxious on the prince'saccount, but they were so busy over the arrangements forreceiving the guests after the wedding, that they had not muchtime for the indulgence of personal feelings.
There were to be very few guests besides the best men and so on;only Dana Alexeyevna, the Ptitsins, Gania, and the doctor. Whenthe prince asked Lebedeff why he had invited the doctor, who wasalmost a stranger, Lebedeff replied:
"Why, he wears an 'order,' and it looks so well!"
This idea amused the prince.
At about half-past seven the prince started for the church in hiscarriage.
We may remark here that he seemed anxious not to omit a singleone of the recognized customs and traditions observed atweddings. He wished all to be done as openly as possible, and "indue order."
Arrived at the church, Muishkin, under Keller's guidance, passedthrough the crowd of spectators, amid continuous whispering andexcited exclamations. The prince stayed near the altar, whileKeller made off once more to fetch the bride.
On reaching the gate of Daria Alexeyevna's house, Keller found afar denser crowd than he had encountered at the prince's. Theremarks and exclamations of the spectators here were of soirritating a nature that Keller was very near making them aspeech on the impropriety of their conduct, but was luckilycaught by Burdovsky, in the act of turning to address them, andhurried indoors.
Nastasia Philipovna was ready. She rose from her seat, lookedinto the glass and remarked, as Keller told the tale afterwards,that she was "as pale as a corpse." She then bent her headreverently, before the ikon in the corner, and left the room.
A torrent of voices greeted her appearance at the front door. Thecrowd whistled, clapped its hands, and laughed and shouted; butin a moment or two isolated voices were distinguishable.
"What a beauty!" cried one.
"Well, she isn't the first in the world, nor the last," saidanother.
"Marriage covers everything," observed a third.
"I defy you to find another beauty like that," said a fourth.
"She's a real princess! I'd sell my soul for such a princess asthat!"
Nastasia came out of the house looking as white as anyhandkerchief; but her large dark eyes shone upon the vulgar crowdlike blazing coals. The spectators' cries were redoubled, andbecame more exultant and triumphant every moment. The door of thecarriage was open, and Keller had given his hand to the bride tohelp her in, when suddenly with a loud cry she rushed from him,straight into the surging crowd. Her friends about her werestupefied with amazement; the crowd parted as she rushed throughit, and suddenly, at a distance of five or six yards from thecarriage, appeared Rogojin. It was his look that had caught hereyes.
Nastasia rushed to him like a madwoman, and seized both hishands.
"Save me!" she cried. "Take me away, anywhere you like, quick!"
Rogojin seized her in his arms and almost carried her to thecarriage. Then, in a flash, he tore a hundred-rouble note out ofhis pocket and held it to the coachman.
"To the station, quick! If you catch the train you shall haveanother. Quick!"
He leaped into the carriage after Nastasia and banged the door.The coachman did not hesitate a moment; he whipped up the horses,and they were oft.
"One more second and I should have stopped him," said Keller,afterwards. In fact, he and Burdovsky jumped into anothercarriage and set off in pursuit; but it struck them as they drovealong that it was not much use trying to bring Nastasia back byforce.
"Besides," said Burdovsky," the prince would not like it, wouldhe?" So they gave up the pursuit.
Rogojin and Nastasia Philipovna reached the station just in timefor the train. As he jumped out of the carriage and was almost onthe point of entering the train, Rogojin accosted a young girlstanding on the platform and wearing an old-fashioned, butrespectable-looking, black cloak and a silk handkerchief over herhead.
"Take fifty roubles for your cloak?" he shouted, holding themoney out to the girl. Before the astonished young woman couldcollect her scattered senses, he pushed the money into her hand,seized the mantle, and threw it and the handkerchief overNastasia's head and shoulders. The latter's wedding-array wouldhave attracted too much attention, and it was not until some timelater that the girl understood why her old cloak and kerchief hadbeen bought at such a price.
The news of what had happened reached the church withextraordinary rapidity. When Keller arrived, a host of peoplewhom he did not know thronged around to ask him questions. Therewas much excited talking, and shaking of heads, even somelaughter; but no one left the church, all being anxious toobserve how the now celebrated bridegroom would take the news. Hegrew very pale upon hearing it, but took it quite quietly.
"I was afraid," he muttered, scarcely audibly, "but I hardlythought it would come to this." Then after a short silence, headded: "However, in her state, it is quite consistent with thenatural order of things."
Even Keller admitted afterwards that this was "extraordinarilyphilosophical" on the prince's part. He left the church quitecalm, to all appearances, as many witnesses were found to declareafterwards. He seemed anxious to reach home and be left alone asquickly as possible; but this was not to be. He was accompaniedby nearly all the invited guests, and besides this, the house wasalmost besieged by excited bands of people, who insisted uponbeing allowed to enter the verandah. The prince heard Keller andLebedeff remonstrating and quarrelling with these unknownindividuals, and soon went out himself. He approached thedisturbers of his peace, requested courteously to be told whatwas desired; then politely putting Lebedeff and Keller aside, headdressed an old gentleman who was standing on the verandah stepsat the head of the band of would-be guests, and courteouslyrequested him to honour him with a visit. The old fellow wasquite taken aback by this, but entered, followed by a few more,who tried to appear at their ease. The rest remained outside, andpresently the whole crowd was censuring those who had acceptedthe invitation. The prince offered seats to his strange visitors,tea was served, and a general conversation sprang up. Everythingwas done most decorously, to the considerable surprise of theintruders. A few tentative attempts were made to turn theconversation to the events of the day, and a few indiscreetquestions were asked; but Muishkin replied to everybody with suchsimplicity and good-humour, and at the same time with so muchdignity, and showed such confidence in the good breeding of hisguests, that the indiscreet talkers were quickly silenced. Bydegrees the conversation became almost serious. One gentlemansuddenly exclaimed, with great vehemence: "Whatever happens, Ishall not sell my property; I shall wait. Enterprise is betterthan money, and there, sir, you have my whole system of economy,if you wish!" He addressed the prince, who warmly commended hissentiments, though Lebedeff whispered in his ear that thisgentleman, who talked so much of his "property," had never hadeither house or home.
Nearly an hour passed thus, and when tea was over the visitorsseemed to think that it was time to go. As they went out, thedoctor and the old gentleman bade Muishkin a warm farewell, andall the rest took their leave with hearty protestations of good-will, dropping remarks to the effect that "it was no useworrying," and that "perhaps all would turn out for the best,"and so on. Some of the younger intruders would have asked forchampagne, but they were checked by the older ones. When all haddeparted, Keller leaned over to Lebedeff, and said:
"With you and me there would have been a scene. We should haveshouted and fought, and called in the police. But he has simplymade some new friends--and such friends, too! I know them!"
Lebedeff, who was slightly intoxicated, answered with a sigh:
"Things are hidden from the wise and prudent, and revealed untobabes. I have applied those words to him before, but now I addthat God has preserved the babe himself from the abyss, He andall His saints."
At last, about half-past ten, the prince was left alone. His headached. Colia was the last to go, after having helped him tochange his wedding clothes. They parted on affectionate terms,and, without speaking of what had happened, Colia promised tocome very early the next day. He said later that the prince hadgiven no hint of his intentions when they said good-bye, but hadhidden them even from him. Soon there was hardly anyone left inthe house. Burdovsky had gone to see Hippolyte; Keller andLebedeff had wandered off together somewhere.
Only Vera Lebedeff remained hurriedly rearranging the furniturein the rooms. As she left the verandah, she glanced at theprince. He was seated at the table, with both elbows upon it, andhis head resting on his hands. She approached him, and touchedhis shoulder gently. The prince started and looked at her inperplexity; he seemed to be collecting his senses for a minute orso, before he could remember where he was. As recollection dawnedupon him, he became violently agitated. All he did, however, wasto ask Vera very earnestly to knock at his door and awake him intime for the first train to Petersburg next morning. Verapromised, and the prince entreated her not to tell anyone of hisintention. She promised this, too; and at last, when she hadhalf-closed the door, be called her back a third time, took herhands in his, kissed them, then kissed her forehead, and in arather peculiar manner said to her, "Until tomorrow!"
Such was Vera's story afterwards.
She went away in great anxiety about him, but when she saw him inthe morning, he seemed to be quite himself again, greeted herwith a smile, and told her that he would very likely be back bythe evening. It appears that he did not consider it necessary toinform anyone excepting Vera of his departure for town.