Page 112 - the-idiot

VII

hen the prince ceased speaking all were gazing mer-
Wrily at him— even Aglaya; but Lizabetha Prokofievna
looked the jolliest of all.
‘Well!’ she cried, ‘we HAVE ‘put him through his paces,’
with a vengeance! My dears, you imagined, I believe, that
you were about to patronize this young gentleman, like
some poor protege picked up somewhere, and taken under
your magnificent protection. What fools we were, and what
a specially big fool is your father! Well done, prince! I assure
you the general actually asked me to put you through your
paces, and examine you. As to what you said about my face,
you are absolutely correct in your judgment. I am a child,
and know it. I knew it long before you said so; you have
expressed my own thoughts. I think your nature and mine
must be extremely alike, and I am very glad of it. We are
like two drops of water, only you are a man and I a woman,
and I’ve not been to Switzerland, and that is all the differ-
ence between us.’
‘Don’t be in a hurry, mother; the prince says that he has
some motive behind his simplicity,’ cried Aglaya.
‘Yes, yes, so he does,’ laughed the others.
‘Oh, don’t you begin bantering him,’ said mamma. ‘He is
probably a good deal cleverer than all three of you girls put
together. We shall see. Only you haven’t told us anything

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