should be an Osterman, not a Gleboff--eh? Isthat what you meant?”
“What Osterman?” asked the prince in some surprise.
“Why, Osterman--the diplomatist. Peter’s Osterman,” muttered Hippolyte,confused. There was a moment’s pause of mutual confusion.
“Oh, no, no!” said the prince at last, “that was not what I was going tosay--oh no! I don’t think you would ever have been like Osterman.”
Hippolyte frowned gloomily.
“I’ll tell you why I draw the conclusion,” explained the prince,evidently desirous of clearing up the matter a little. “Because, thoughI often think over the men of those times, I cannot for the life of meimagine them to be like ourselves. It really appears to me that theywere of another race altogether than ourselves of today. At that timepeople seemed to stick so to one idea; now, they are more nervous, moresensitive, more enlightened--people of two or three ideas at once--asit were. The man of today is a broader man, so to speak--and I declareI believe that is what prevents him from being so self-contained andindependent a being as his brother of those earlier days. Of course myremark was only made under this impression, and not in the least--”
“I quite understand. You are trying to comfort me for the naiveness withwhich you disagreed with me--eh? Ha! ha! ha! You are a regularchild, prince! However, I cannot help seeing that you always treat melike--like a fragile china cup. Never mind, never mind, I’m not a bitangry! At all events we have had a very funny talk. Do you know, allthings considered, I should like to be something better than Osterman!I wouldn’t take the trouble to rise from the dead to be an Osterman.However, I see I must make arrangements to die soon, or I myself--.Well--leave me now! _Au revoir._ Look here--before you go, just give meyour opinion: how do you think I ought to die, now? I mean--the best,the most virtuous way? Tell me!”
“You should pass us by and forgive us our happiness,” said the prince ina low voice.
“Ha! ha! ha! I thought so. I thought I should hear something likethat. Well, you are--you really are--oh dear me! Eloquence, eloquence!Good-bye!”
VI.
As to the evening party at the Epanchins’ at which Princess Bielokonskiwas to be present, Varia had reported with accuracy; though she hadperhaps expressed herself too strongly.
The thing was decided in a hurry and with a certain amount of quiteunnecessary excitement, doubtless because “nothing could be done in thishouse like anywhere else.”
The impatience of Lizabetha Prokofievna “to get things settled” explained a good deal, as well as the anxiety of both parents for thehappiness of their beloved daughter. Besides, Princess Bielokonski wasgoing away soon, and they hoped that she would take an interest inthe prince. They were anxious that he should enter society under theauspices of this lady, whose patronage was the best of recommendationsfor any young man.
Even if there seems something strange about the match, the general andhis wife said to each other, the “world” will accept Aglaya’s fiancewithout any question if he is under the patronage of the princess. Inany case, the prince would have to be “shown” sooner or later; that is,introduced into society, of which he had, so far, not the least idea.Moreover, it was only a question of a small gathering of a few intimatefriends. Besides Princess Bielokonski, only one other lady was expected,the wife of a high dignitary. Evgenie Pavlovitch, who was to escort theprincess, was the only young man.
Muishkin was told of the princess’s visit three days beforehand, butnothing was said to him about the party until the night before it was totake place.
He could not help observing the excited and agitated condition of allmembers of the family, and from certain hints dropped in conversation hegathered that they were all anxious as to the impression he shouldmake upon the princess. But the Epanchins, one and all, believed thatMuishkin, in his simplicity of mind, was quite incapable of realizingthat they could be feeling any anxiety on his account, and for thisreason they all looked at him with dread and uneasiness.
In point of fact, he did attach marvellously little importance to theapproaching event. He was occupied with altogether different thoughts.Aglaya was growing hourly more capricious and gloomy, and thisdistressed him. When they told him that Evgenie Pavlovitch was expected,he evinced great delight, and said that he had long wished to seehim--and somehow these words did not please anyone.
Aglaya left the room in a fit of irritation, and it was not until latein the evening, past eleven, when the prince was taking his departure,that she said a word or two to him, privately, as she accompanied him asfar as the front door.
“I should like you,” she said, “not to come here tomorrow until evening,when the guests are all assembled. You know there are to be guests,don’t you?”
She spoke impatiently and with severity; this was the first allusion shehad made to the party of tomorrow.
She hated the idea of it, everyone saw that; and she would probablyhave liked to quarrel about it with her parents, but pride and modestyprevented her from broaching the subject.
The prince jumped to the conclusion that Aglaya, too, was nervous abouthim, and the impression he would make, and that she did not like toadmit her anxiety; and this thought alarmed him.
“Yes, I am invited,” he replied.
She was evidently in difficulties as to how best to go on. “May I speakof something serious to you, for once in my life?” she asked, angrily.She was irritated at she knew not what, and could not restrain herwrath.
“Of course you may; I am very glad to listen,” replied Muishkin.
Aglaya was silent a moment and then began again with evident dislike ofher subject:
“I do not wish to quarrel with them about this; in some things theywon’t be reasonable. I always did feel a loathing for the laws whichseem to guide mamma’s conduct at times. I don’t speak of father, forhe cannot be expected to be anything but what he is. Mother is anoble-minded woman, I know; you try to suggest anything mean to her,and you’ll see! But she is such a slave to these miserable creatures! Idon’t mean old Bielokonski alone. She is a contemptible old thing, butshe is able to twist people round her little finger, and I admire thatin her, at all events! How mean it all is, and how foolish! We werealways middle-class, thoroughly middle-class, people. Why should weattempt to climb into the giddy heights of the fashionable world? Mysisters are all for it. It’s Prince S. they have to thank for poisoningtheir minds. Why are you so glad that Evgenie Pavlovitch is coming?”
“Listen to me, Aglaya,” said the prince, “I do believe you are nervouslest I shall make a fool of myself tomorrow at your party?”
“Nervous about you?” Aglaya blushed. “Why should I be nervous aboutyou? What would it matter to me if you were to make ever such a fool ofyourself? How can you say such a thing? What do you mean by ‘making afool of yourself’? What a vulgar expression! I suppose you intend totalk in that sort of way tomorrow evening? Look up a few more suchexpressions in your dictionary; do, you’ll make a grand effect! I’msorry that you seem to be able to come into a room as gracefully as youdo; where did you learn the art? Do you think you can drink a cup of teadecently, when you know everybody is looking at you, on purpose to seehow you do it?”
“Yes, I think I can.”
“Can you? I’m sorry for it then, for I should have had a good laugh atyou otherwise. Do break _something_ at least, in the drawing-room! Upsetthe Chinese vase, won’t you? It’s a valuable one; _do_ break it. Mammavalues it, and she’ll go out of her mind--it was a present. She’ll crybefore everyone, you’ll see! Wave your hand about, you know, as youalways do, and just smash it. Sit down near it on purpose.”
“On the contrary, I shall sit as far from it as I can. Thanks for thehint.”
“Ha, ha! Then you are afraid you _will_ wave your arms about! I wouldn’tmind betting that you’ll talk about some lofty subject, somethingserious and learned. How delightful, how tactful that will be!”
“I should think it would be very foolish indeed, unless it happened tocome in appropri
ately.”
“Look here, once for all,” cried Aglaya, boiling over, “if I hear youtalking about capital punishment, or the economical condition ofRussia, or about Beauty redeeming the world, or anything of that sort,I’ll--well, of course I shall laugh and seem very pleased, but I warnyou beforehand, don’t look me in the face again! I’m serious now,mind, this time I _am really_ serious.” She certainly did say this veryseriously, so much so, that she looked quite different from what sheusually was, and the prince could not help noticing the fact. She didnot seem to be joking in the slightest degree.
“Well, you’ve put me into such a fright that I shall certainly makea fool of myself, and very likely break something too. I wasn’t a bitalarmed before, but now I’m as nervous as can be.”
“Then don’t speak at all. Sit still and don’t talk.”
“Oh, I can’t do that, you know! I shall say something foolish out ofpure ‘funk,’ and break something for the same excellent reason; I knowI shall. Perhaps I shall slip and fall on the slippery floor; I’ve donethat before now, you know. I shall dream of it all
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