Page 161 - the-idiot

‘And you?’
The general dropped his eyes, and elevated his brows;
shrugged his shoulders, tightened his lips, spread his hands,
and remained silent. At last he blurted out:
‘I lost my head!’
‘Did you hit her?’
‘No, oh no!—there was a great flare-up, but I didn’t hit
her! I had to struggle a little, purely to defend myself; but
the very devil was in the business. It turned out that ‘light
blue’ was an Englishwoman, governess or something, at
Princess Bielokonski’s, and the other woman was one of the
old-maid princesses Bielokonski. Well, everybody knows
what great friends the princess and Mrs. Epanchin are, so
there was a pretty kettle of fish. All the Bielokonskis went
into mourning for the poodle. Six princesses in tears, and
the Englishwoman shrieking!
‘Of course I wrote an apology, and called, but they would
not receive either me or my apology, and the Epanchins cut
me, too!’
‘But wait,’ said Nastasia. ‘How is it that, five or six days
since, I read exactly the same story in the paper, as happen-
ing between a Frenchman and an English girl? The cigar
was snatched away exactly as you describe, and the poodle
was chucked out of the window after it. The slapping came
off, too, as in your case; and the girl’s dress was light blue!’
The general blushed dreadfully; Colia blushed too; and
Ptitsin turned hastily away. Ferdishenko was the only one
who laughed as gaily as before. As to Gania, I need not say
that he was miserable; he stood dumb and wretched and

1 0 The Idiot