Page 145 - the-idiot

‘It’s a present from herself to him,’ said Varia; ‘the ques-
tion is to be finally decided this evening.’
‘This evening!’ repeated her mother in a tone of despair,
but softly, as though to herself. ‘Then it’s all settled, of
course, and there’s no hope left to us. She has anticipated
her answer by the present of her portrait. Did he show it you
himself?’ she added, in some surprise.
‘You know we have hardly spoken to each other for a
whole month. Ptitsin told me all about it; and the photo was
lying under the table, and I picked it up.’
‘Prince,’ asked Nina Alexandrovna, ‘I wanted to inquire
whether you have known my son long? I think he said that
you had only arrived today from somewhere.’
The prince gave a short narrative of what we have heard
before, leaving out the greater part. The two ladies listened
intently.
‘I did not ask about Gania out of curiosity,’ said the elder,
at last. ‘I wish to know how much you know about him, be-
cause he said just now that we need not stand on ceremony
with you. What, exactly, does that mean?’
At this moment Gania and Ptitsin entered the room to-
gether, and Nina Alexandrovna immediately became silent
again. The prince remained seated next to her, but Varia
moved to the other end of the room; the portrait of Nasta-
sia Philipovna remained lying as before on the work-table.
Gania observed it there, and with a frown of annoyance
snatched it up and threw it across to his writing-table, which
stood at the other end of the room.
‘Is it today, Gania?’ asked Nina Alexandrovna, at last.

1 The Idiot