Page 207 - the-idiot

ing. ‘I only answered your question.’
‘Bravo! That’s frank, at any rate!’ shouted Ferdishenko,
and there was general laughter.
‘Oh prince, prince! I never should have thought it of you;’
said General Epanchin. ‘And I imagined you a philosopher!
Oh, you silent fellows!’
‘Judging from the fact that the prince blushed at this in-
nocent joke, like a young girl, I should think that he must,
as an honourable man, harbour the noblest intentions,’ said
the old toothless schoolmaster, most unexpectedly; he had
not so much as opened his mouth before. This remark pro-
voked general mirth, and the old fellow himself laughed
loudest of the lot, but ended with a stupendous fit of cough-
ing.
Nastasia Philipovna, who loved originality and drollery
of all kinds, was apparently very fond of this old man, and
rang the bell for more tea to stop his coughing. It was now
half-past ten o’clock.
‘Gentlemen, wouldn’t you like a little champagne now?’
she asked. ‘I have it all ready; it will cheer us up—do now—
no ceremony!’
This invitation to drink, couched, as it was, in such infor-
mal terms, came very strangely from Nastasia Philipovna.
Her usual entertainments were not quite like this; there was
more style about them. However, the wine was not refused;
each guest took a glass excepting Gania, who drank noth-
ing.
It was extremely difficult to account for Nastasia’s strange
condition of mind, which became more evident each mo-

0 The Idiot