Page 200 - the-idiot

upon her eventual love, and tried to tempt her with a lavish
outlay upon comforts and luxuries, knowing too well how
easily the heart accustoms itself to comforts, and how dif-
ficult it is to tear one’s self away from luxuries which have
become habitual and, little by little, indispensable.
Nastasia did not reject all this, she even loved her com-
forts and luxuries, but, strangely enough, never became, in
the least degree, dependent upon them, and always gave the
impression that she could do just as well without them. In
fact, she went so far as to inform Totski on several occasions
that such was the case, which the latter gentleman consid-
ered a very unpleasant communication indeed.
But, of late, Totski had observed many strange and origi-
nal features and characteristics in Nastasia, which he had
neither known nor reckoned upon in former times, and
some of these fascinated him, even now, in spite of the fact
that all his old calculations with regard to her were long ago
cast to the winds.
A maid opened the door for the prince (Nastasia’s ser-
vants were all females) and, to his surprise, received his
request to announce him to her mistress without any aston-
ishment. Neither his dirty boots, nor his wide-brimmed hat,
nor his sleeveless cloak, nor his evident confusion of man-
ner, produced the least impression upon her. She helped
him off with his cloak, and begged him to wait a moment in
the ante-room while she announced him.
The company assembled at Nastasia Philipovna’s con-
sisted of none but her most intimate friends, and formed a
very small party in comparison with her usual gatherings

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