The Idiot

by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

have come up and saved you this trouble.”

  “Well, well! Enough! You’ve pitied me, and that’s all that good mannersexact. I forgot, how are you?”

  “I’m all right; yesterday I was a little--”

  “I know, I heard; the china vase caught it! I’m sorry I wasn’t there.I’ve come about something important. In the first place I had, thepleasure of seeing Gavrila Ardalionovitch and Aglaya Ivanovna enjoying arendezvous on the green bench in the park. I was astonished to see whata fool a man can look. I remarked upon the fact to Aglaya Ivanovna whenhe had gone. I don’t think anything ever surprises you, prince!” addedHippolyte, gazing incredulously at the prince’s calm demeanour. “To beastonished by nothing is a sign, they say, of a great intellect. In myopinion it would serve equally well as a sign of great foolishness. Iam not hinting about you; pardon me! I am very unfortunate today in myexpressions.”

  “I knew yesterday that Gavrila Ardalionovitch--” began the prince, andpaused in evident confusion, though Hippolyte had shown annoyance at hisbetraying no surprise.

  “You knew it? Come, that’s news! But no--perhaps better not tell me. Andwere you a witness of the meeting?”

  “If you were there yourself you must have known that I was _not_ there!”

  “Oh! but you may have been sitting behind the bushes somewhere. However,I am very glad, on your account, of course. I was beginning to be afraidthat Mr. Gania--might have the preference!”

  “May I ask you, Hippolyte, not to talk of this subject? And not to usesuch expressions?”

  “Especially as you know all, eh?”

  “You are wrong. I know scarcely anything, and Aglaya Ivanovna is awarethat I know nothing. I knew nothing whatever about this meeting. You saythere was a meeting. Very well; let’s leave it so--”

  “Why, what do you mean? You said you knew, and now suddenly you knownothing! You say ‘very well; let’s leave it so.’ But I say, don’t beso confiding, especially as you know nothing. You are confiding simply_because_ you know nothing. But do you know what these good people havein their minds’ eye--Gania and his sister? Perhaps you are suspicious?Well, well, I’ll drop the subject!” he added, hastily, observing theprince’s impatient gesture. “But I’ve come to you on my own business;I wish to make you a clear explanation. What a nuisance it is that onecannot die without explanations! I have made such a quantity of themalready. Do you wish to hear what I have to say?”

  “Speak away, I am listening.”

  “Very well, but I’ll change my mind, and begin about Gania. Just fancyto begin with, if you can, that I, too, was given an appointment atthe green bench today! However, I won’t deceive you; I asked for theappointment. I said I had a secret to disclose. I don’t know whether Icame there too early, I think I must have; but scarcely had I sat downbeside Aglaya Ivanovna than I saw Gavrila Ardalionovitch and his sisterVaria coming along, arm in arm, just as though they were enjoying amorning walk together. Both of them seemed very much astonished, notto say disturbed, at seeing me; they evidently had not expectedthe pleasure. Aglaya Ivanovna blushed up, and was actually a littleconfused. I don’t know whether it was merely because I was there, orwhether Gania’s beauty was too much for her! But anyway, she turnedcrimson, and then finished up the business in a very funny manner.She jumped up from her seat, bowed back to Gania, smiled to Varia, andsuddenly observed: ‘I only came here to express my gratitude for allyour kind wishes on my behalf, and to say that if I find I need yourservices, believe me--’ Here she bowed them away, as it were, and theyboth marched off again, looking very foolish. Gania evidently could notmake head nor tail of the matter, and turned as red as a lobster; butVaria understood at once that they must get away as quickly as theycould, so she dragged Gania away; she is a great deal cleverer than heis. As for myself, I went there to arrange a meeting to be held betweenAglaya Ivanovna and Nastasia Philipovna.”

  “Nastasia Philipovna!” cried the prince.

  “Aha! I think you are growing less cool, my friend, and are beginningto be a trifle surprised, aren’t you? I’m glad that you are not aboveordinary human feelings, for once. I’ll console you a little now, afteryour consternation. See what I get for serving a young and high-souledmaiden! This morning I received a slap in the face from the lady!”

  “A--a moral one?” asked the prince, involuntarily.

  “Yes--not a physical one! I don’t suppose anyone--even a woman--wouldraise a hand against me now. Even Gania would hesitate! I did think atone time yesterday, that he would fly at me, though. I bet anything thatI know what you are thinking of now! You are thinking: ‘Of course onecan’t strike the little wretch, but one could suffocate him with apillow, or a wet towel, when he is asleep! One _ought_ to get rid of himsomehow.’ I can see in your face that you are thinking that at this verysecond.”

  “I never thought of such a thing for a moment,” said the prince, withdisgust.

  “I don’t know--I dreamed last night that I was being suffocated with awet cloth by--somebody. I’ll tell you who it was--Rogojin! What do youthink, can a man be suffocated with a wet cloth?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’ve heard so. Well, we’ll leave that question just now. Why am I ascandal-monger? Why did she call me a scandal-monger? And mind, _after_she had heard every word I had to tell her, and had asked all sorts ofquestions besides--but such is the way of women. For _her_ sake I enteredinto relations with Rogojin--an interesting man! At _her_ request Iarranged a personal interview between herself and Nastasia Philipovna.Could she have been angry because I hinted that she was enjoyingNastasia Philipovna’s ‘leavings’? Why, I have been impressing it uponher all this while for her own good. Two letters have I written her inthat strain, and I began straight off today about its being humiliatingfor her. Besides, the word ‘leavings’ is not my invention. At allevents, they all used it at Gania’s, and she used it herself. So why amI a scandal-monger? I see--I see you are tremendously amused, at thismoment! Probably you are laughing at me and fitting those silly lines tomy case--

  “‘Maybe sad Love upon his setting smiles, And with vain hopes hisfarewell hour beguiles.’

  “Ha, ha, ha!”

  Hippolyte suddenly burst into a fit of hysterical laughter, which turnedinto a choking cough.

  “Observe,” he gasped, through his coughing, “what a fellow Gania is!He talks about Nastasia’s ‘leavings,’ but what does he want to takehimself?”

  The prince sat silent for a long while. His mind was filled with dreadand horror.

  “You spoke of a meeting with Nastasia Philipovna,” he said at last, in alow voice.

  “Oh--come! Surely you must know that there is to be a meeting todaybetween Nastasia and Aglaya Ivanovna, and that Nastasia has been sentfor on purpose, through Rogojin, from St. Petersburg? It has beenbrought about by invitation of Aglaya Ivanovna and my own efforts, andNastasia is at this moment with Rogojin, not far from here--at DanaAlexeyevna’s--that curious friend of hers; and to this questionablehouse Aglaya Ivanovna is to proceed for a friendly chat with NastasiaPhilipovna, and for the settlement of several problems. They are goingto play at arithmetic--didn’t you know about it? Word of honour?”

  “It’s a most improbable story.”

  “Oh, very well! if it’s improbable--it is--that’s all! And yet--whereshould you have heard it? Though I must say, if a fly crosses the roomit’s known all over the place here. However, I’ve warned you, and youmay be grateful to me. Well--_au revoir_--probably in the next world! Onemore thing--don’t think that I am telling you all this for your sake.Oh, dear, no! Do you know that I dedicated my confession to AglayaIvanovna? I did though, and how she took it, ha, ha! Oh, no! I am notacting from any high, exalted motives. But though I may have behavedlike a cad to you, I have not done _her_ any harm. I don’t apologize formy words about ‘leavings’ and all that. I am atoning for that, yousee, by telling you the place and time of the meeting. Goodbye! Youhad better take your measures, if you are worthy the name of a man! Themeeting is
fixed for this evening--that’s certain.”

  Hippolyte walked towards the door, but the prince called him back and hestopped.

  “Then you think Aglaya Ivanovna herself intends to go to NastasiaPhilipovna’s tonight?” he asked, and bright hectic spots came out on hischeeks and forehead.

  “I don’t know absolutely for certain; but in all probability it is so,” replied Hippolyte, looking round. “Nastasia would hardly go to her; andthey can’t meet at Gania’s, with a man nearly dead in the house.”

  “It’s impossible, for that very reason,” said the prince. “How would sheget out if she wished to? You don’t know the habits of that house--she_could_ not get away alone to Nastasia Philipovna’s! It’s all nonsense!”

  “Look here, my dear prince, no one jumps out of the window if they canhelp it; but when there’s a fire, the dandiest gentleman or the finestlady in the world will skip out! When the moment comes, andthere’s nothing else to be done--our young lady will go to NastasiaPhilipovna’s! Don’t they let the young ladies out of the house alone,then?”

  “I didn’t mean that exactly.”

  “If you didn’t mean that, then she has only to go down the steps andwalk off, and she need never come back unless she chooses: Ships areburned behind one sometimes, and one doesn’t care to return whence onecame. Life need not consist only of lunches, and dinners, and PrinceS’s. It strikes me you take Aglaya Ivanovna for some conventionalboarding-school girl. I said so to her, and she quite agreed with me.Wait till seven or eight o’clock. In your place I would send someonethere to keep watch, so as to seize the exact moment when she steps outof the house. Send Colia. He’ll play the spy with pleasure--for you atleast. Ha, ha, ha!”

  Hippolyte went out.

  There was no reason for the prince to set anyone to watch, even if hehad been capable of such a thing. Aglaya’s command that he should stayat home all day seemed almost explained now. Perhaps she meant to callfor him, herself, or it might be, of course, that she was anxious tomake sure of his not coming there, and therefore bade him remain athome. His head whirled; the whole room seemed to be turning round. Helay down on the sofa, and closed his eyes.

  One way or the other the question was to be decided at last--finally.

  Oh, no, he did not think of Aglaya as a boarding-school miss, or a younglady of the conventional type! He had long since feared that she mighttake some such step as this. But why did she wish to see Nastasia?

  He shivered all over as he lay; he was in high fever again.

  No! he did not account her a child. Certain of her looks, certain of herwords, of late, had filled him with apprehension. At times it had struckhim that she was putting too great a restraint upon herself, and heremembered that he had been alarmed to observe this. He had tried, allthese days, to drive away the heavy thoughts that oppressed him;but what was the hidden mystery of that soul? The question had longtormented him, although he implicitly trusted that soul. And now it wasall to be cleared up. It was a dreadful thought. And “that woman” again!Why did he always feel as though “that woman” were fated to appear ateach critical moment of his life, and tear the thread of his destinylike a bit of rotten string? That he always _had_ felt this he was readyto swear, although he was half delirious at the moment. If he had triedto forget her, all this time, it was simply because he was afraid ofher. Did he love the woman or hate her? This question he did not onceask himself today; his heart was quite pure. He knew whom he loved. Hewas not so much afraid of this meeting, nor of its strangeness, nor ofany reasons there might be for it, unknown to himself; he was afraidof the woman herself, Nastasia Philipovna. He remembered, some daysafterwards, how during all those fevered hours he had seen but _her_ eyes,_her_ look, had heard _her_ voice, strange words of hers; he rememberedthat this was so, although he could not recollect the details of histhoughts.

  He could remember that Vera brought him some dinner, and that he tookit; but whether he slept after dinner, or no, he could not recollect.

  He only knew that he began to distinguish things clearly from the momentwhen Aglaya suddenly appeared, and he jumped up from the sofa and wentto meet her. It was just a quarter past seven then.

  Aglaya was quite alone, and dressed, apparently hastily, in a lightmantle. Her face was pale, as it had been in the morning, and hereyes were ablaze with bright but subdued fire. He had never seen thatexpression in her eyes before.

  She gazed attentively at him.

  “You are quite ready, I observe,” she said, with absolute composure,“dressed, and your hat in your hand. I see somebody has thought fit towarn you, and I know who. Hippolyte?”

  “Yes, he told me,” said the prince, feeling only half alive.

  “Come then. You know, I suppose, that you must escort me there? You arewell enough to go out, aren’t you?”

  “I am well enough; but is it really possible?--”

  He broke off abruptly, and could not add another word. This was his oneattempt to stop the mad child, and, after he had made it, he followedher as though he had no will of his own. Confused as his thoughts were,he was, nevertheless, capable of realizing the fact that if he didnot go with her, she would go alone, and so he must go with her at allhazards. He guessed the strength of her determination; it was beyond himto check it.

  They walked silently, and said scarcely a word all the way. He onlynoticed that she seemed to know the road very well; and once, when hethought it better to go by a certain lane, and remarked to her that itwould be quieter and less public, she only said, “it’s all the same,” and went on.

  When they were almost arrived at Daria Alexeyevna’s house (it was alarge wooden structure of ancient date), a gorgeously-dressed lady anda young girl came out of it. Both these ladies took their seats in acarriage, which was waiting at the door, talking and laughing loudlythe while, and drove away without appearing to notice the approachingcouple.

  No sooner had the carriage driven off than the door opened once more;and Rogojin, who had apparently been awaiting them, let them in andclosed it after them.

  “There is not another soul in the house now excepting our four selves,” he said aloud, looking at the prince in a strange way.

  Nastasia Philipovna was waiting for them in the first room they wentinto. She was dressed very simply, in black.

  She rose at their entrance, but did not smile or give her hand, even tothe prince. Her anxious eyes were fixed upon Aglaya. Both sat down, ata little distance from one another--Aglaya on the sofa, in the cornerof the room, Nastasia by the window. The prince and Rogojin remainedstanding, and were not invited to sit.

  Muishkin glanced at Rogojin in perplexity, but the latter only smileddisagreeably, and said nothing. The silence continued for some fewmoments.

  An ominous expression passed over Nastasia Philipovna’s face, of asudden. It became obstinate-looking, hard, and full of hatred; but shedid not take her eyes off her visitors for a moment.

  Aglaya was clearly confused, but not frightened. On entering she hadmerely glanced momentarily at her rival, and then had sat still, withher eyes on the ground, apparently in thought. Once or twice sheglanced casually round the room. A shade of disgust was visible in herexpression; she looked as though she were afraid of contamination inthis place.

  She mechanically arranged her dress, and fidgeted uncomfortably,eventually changing her seat to the other end of the sofa. Probablyshe was unconscious of her own movements; but this very unconsciousnessadded to the offensiveness of their suggested meaning.

  At length she looked straight into Nastasia’s eyes, and instantly readall there was to read in her rival’s expression. Woman understood woman!Aglaya shuddered.

  “You know of course why I requested this meeting?” she said at last,quietly, and pausing twice in the delivery of this very short sentence.

  “No--I know nothing about it,” said Nastasia, drily and abruptly.

  Aglaya blushed. Perhaps it struck her as very strange and impossiblethat she should really be sitting here
and waiting for “that woman’s” reply to her question.

  At the first sound of Nastasia’s voice a shudder ran through her frame.Of course “that woman” observed and took in all this.

  “You know quite well, but you are pretending to be ignorant,” saidAglaya, very low, with her eyes on the ground.

  “Why should I?” asked Nastasia Philipovna, smiling slightly.

  “You want to take advantage of my position, now that I am in yourhouse,” continued Aglaya, awkwardly.

  “For that position _you_ are to blame and not I,” said Nastasia, flaringup suddenly. “_I_ did not invite _you_, but you me; and to this moment Iam quite ignorant as to why I am thus honoured.”

  Aglaya raised her head haughtily.

  “Restrain your tongue!” she said. “I did not come here to fight you withyour own weapons.

  “Oh! then you did come ‘to fight,’ I may conclude? Dear me!--and Ithought you were cleverer--”

  They looked at one another with undisguised malice. One of these womenhad written to the other, so lately, such letters as we have seen; andit all was dispersed at their first meeting. Yet it appeared thatnot one of the four persons in the room considered this in any degreestrange.

  The prince who, up to yesterday, would not have believed that he couldeven dream of such an impossible scene as this, stood and listened andlooked on, and felt as though he had long foreseen it all. The mostfantastic dream seemed suddenly to have been metamorphosed into the mostvivid reality.

  One of these women so despised the other, and so longed to express hercontempt for her (perhaps she had only come for that very purpose, asRogojin said next day), that howsoever fantastical was the other woman,howsoever afflicted her spirit and disturbed her understanding, nopreconceived idea of hers could possibly stand up against that deadlyfeminine contempt of her rival. The prince felt sure that Nastasiawould say nothing about the letters herself; but he could judge by herflashing eyes and the expression of her face what the thought of thoseletters must be costing her at this moment. He would have given half hislife to prevent Aglaya from speaking of them. But Aglaya suddenly bracedherself up, and seemed to master herself fully, all in an