登陆注册
15463200000106

第106章 PART II(40)

"Of course it is a lunatic asylum!" repeated Aglaya sharply, but her words were overpowered by other voices. Everybody was talking loudly, making remarks and comments; some discussed the affair gravely, others laughed. Ivan Fedorovitch Epanchin was extremely indignant. He stood waiting for his wife with an air of offended dignity. Lebedeff's nephew took up the word again.

"Well, prince, to do you justice, you certainly know how to make the most of your--let us call it infirmity, for the sake of politeness; you have set about offering your money and friendship in such a way that no self-respecting man could possibly accept them. This is an excess of ingenuousness or of malice--you ought to know better than anyone which word best fits the case.""Allow me, gentlemen," said Gavrila Ardalionovitch, who had just examined the contents of the envelope, "there are only a hundred roubles here, not two hundred and fifty. I point this out, prince, to prevent misunderstanding.""Never mind, never mind," said the prince, signing to him to keep quiet.

"But we do mind," said Lebedeff's nephew vehemently. "Prince, your 'never mind' is an insult to us. We have nothing to hide;our actions can bear daylight. It is true that there are only a hundred roubles instead of two hundred and fifty, but it is all the same.""Why, no, it is hardly the same," remarked Gavrila Ardalionovitch, with an air of ingenuous surprise.

"Don't interrupt, we are not such fools as you think, Mr.

Lawyer," cried Lebedeff's nephew angrily. "Of course there is a difference between a hundred roubles and two hundred and fifty, but in this case the principle is the main point, and that a hundred and fifty roubles are missing is only a side issue. The point to be emphasized is that Burdovsky will not accept your highness's charity; he flings it back in your face, and it scarcely matters if there are a hundred roubles or two hundred and fifty. Burdovsky has refused ten thousand roubles; you heard him. He would not have returned even a hundred roubles if he was dishonest! The hundred and fifty roubles were paid to Tchebaroff for his travelling expenses. You may jeer at our stupidity and at our inexperience in business matters; you have done all you could already to make us look ridiculous; but do not dare to call us dishonest. The four of us will club together every day to repay the hundred and fifty roubles to the prince, if we have to pay it in instalments of a rouble at a time, but we will repay it, with interest. Burdovsky is poor, he has no millions. After his journey to see the prince Tchebaroff sent in his bill. We counted on winning... Who would not have done the same in such a case?""Who indeed?" exclaimed Prince S.

"I shall certainly go mad, if I stay here!" cried Lizabetha Prokofievna.

"It reminds me," said Evgenie Pavlovitch, laughing, "of the famous plea of a certain lawyer who lately defended a man for murdering six people in order to rob them. He excused his client on the score of poverty. 'It is quite natural,' he said in conclusion, 'considering the state of misery he was in, that he should have thought of murdering these six people; which of you, gentlemen, would not have done the same in his place?'""Enough," cried Lizabetha Prokofievna abruptly, trembling with anger, "we have had enough of this balderdash!"In a state of terrible excitement she threw back her head, with flaming eyes, casting looks of contempt and defiance upon the whole company, in which she could no longer distinguish friend from foe. She had restrained herself so long that she felt forced to vent her rage on somebody. Those who knew Lizabetha Prokofievna saw at once how it was with her. "She flies into these rages sometimes," said Ivan Fedorovitch to Prince S. the next day, "but she is not often so violent as she was yesterday;it does not happen more than once in three years.""Be quiet, Ivan Fedorovitch! Leave me alone!" cried Mrs.

Epanchin. "Why do you offer me your arm now? You had not sense enough to take me away before. You are my husband, you are a father, it was your duty to drag me away by force, if in my folly I refused to obey you and go quietly. You might at least have thought of your daughters. We can find our way out now without your help. Here is shame enough for a year! Wait a moment 'till Ithank the prince! Thank you, prince, for the entertainment you have given us! It was most amusing to hear these young men... It is vile, vile! A chaos, a scandal, worse than a nightmare! Is it possible that there can be many such people on earth? Be quiet, Aglaya! Be quiet, Alexandra! It is none of your business! Don't fuss round me like that, Evgenie Pavlovitch; you exasperate me!

So, my dear," she cried, addressing the prince, "you go so far as to beg their pardon! He says, 'Forgive me for offering you a fortune.' And you, you mountebank, what are you laughing at?" she cried, turning suddenly on Lebedeff's nephew. "'We refuse ten thousand roubles; we do not beseech, we demand!' As if he did not know that this idiot will call on them tomorrow to renew his offers of money and friendship. You will, won't you? You will?

Come, will you, or won't you?"

"I shall," said the prince, with gentle humility.

"You hear him! You count upon it, too," she continued, turning upon Doktorenko. "You are as sure of him now as if you had the money in your pocket. And there you are playing the swaggerer to throw dust in our eyes! No, my dear sir, you may take other people in! I can see through all your airs and graces, I see your game!""Lizabetha Prokofievna!" exclaimed the prince.

"Come, Lizabetha Prokofievna, it is quite time for us to be going, we will take the prince with us," said Prince S. with a smile, in the coolest possible way.

The girls stood apart, almost frightened; their father was positively horrified. Mrs. Epanchin's language astonished everybody. Some who stood a little way off smiled furtively, and talked in whispers. Lebedeff wore an expression of utmost ecstasy.

同类推荐
  • 途中口号

    途中口号

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 己亥杂诗

    己亥杂诗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 四符

    四符

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 唐玄宗御制道德真经疏外传

    唐玄宗御制道德真经疏外传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 类经

    类经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 玄月神话

    玄月神话

    挥拳破灭诸天,剑斩沧海桑田,跨越时代传承的火种熊熊,在黑暗的笼罩下绽放一点毫光……在这片武道繁华的瑰丽大陆之上,少年自边陲崛起,谱写不朽的诗篇。这是属于武者的时代,这是属于少年的神话!书友群:280351768
  • 奶爸永恒

    奶爸永恒

    奶爸系统加身,什么?你以为我就会加加血?嘿嘿,嘿嘿。嘿嘿嘿...
  • 总裁不懂爱

    总裁不懂爱

    爱情,其实平平淡淡的才是真。已经26岁的欧阳小爱在一家公司干着白领的工作,日子过的平平淡淡,直到遇到了新经理慕容锦雨,两人开始了一段平平淡淡的爱情,欧阳小爱一直以为,自己能一辈子这样平平淡淡的过下去,谁知道,慕容家的反对,竟然让她的人生不再平淡!
  • 斓潇决

    斓潇决

    一步步的晋升就是为了在大陆的最顶端有自己的一片立足之地!说自己没有容貌,只能脱下面具以正清白!说自己没有用处,只能挥洒丹药!说自己没有跟班,空间内无所不有!如今站在大陆的最高点,却被个之前嫌弃自己的人拥入怀中……“请问抱够了吗?”“不够!娃还没有生!”问现如今还有多少如此不要脸的人?
  • 娇妻要上天:婚婚欲睡

    娇妻要上天:婚婚欲睡

    有名无实的婚姻让她精疲力尽,本以为一无所有、山穷水尽就是最终结局,却不料林湛的出现打破了这一切。他温柔又宠溺看着她“欺负的你的人,我会让他们慢慢还回来。”他一步步带她进入早已设好的局,让她渐渐分不清真假......--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 冰沫蔷薇

    冰沫蔷薇

    这,是另一个世界,名叫梦云大陆......如有雷同纯属巧合!!!
  • 蚀骨绝恋

    蚀骨绝恋

    八年前,天将神火武林盟主岳家满门被屠,无一人生还!这究竟是天灾还是人为?八年后,天犽剑重现江湖!引起江湖武林各派纷争不断,江湖一时血雨腥风………这把天犽剑到底有和岳家满门被屠有何关联?我记忆中的哪两个害死我爹娘的黑衣人到底是谁!是谁给我喂了燕蛟毒是谁要这么害我!我到底是谁!我到底是谁!————————————————————初见时,她是武林盟主之女岳家的大小姐岳珊,而他是流落街边饿晕了的落魄少年。再见时,她是身重剧毒的失忆孤女。而他是腹黑无比的墨林城少主夏凌轩。“你说过你不会骗我的!但可你还是违背了你的誓言!辜负了我!”
  • 青锋寒玉

    青锋寒玉

    世间之事谁又能分出个对错?你认为你是对的,但当你华发渐生、容颜迟暮,回首往昔,也许-都错了。
  • 修真大主宰

    修真大主宰

    他的修真之路明明可以顺畅无阻,但他却选择从基础开始,为了查清真相,他要变强!
  • 何悠重生

    何悠重生

    历经磨难求生,如愿以偿重生,发现此生却非彼生,持续奋斗ing