Page 226 - the-idiot
P. 226

to depart.
         ‘Nastasia Philipovna! Nastasia Philipovna!’
         The  words  burst  involuntarily  from  every  mouth.  All
       present started up in bewildered excitement; all surround-
       ed her; all had listened uneasily to her wild, disconnected
       sentences.  All  felt  that  something  had  happened,  some-
       thing had gone very far wrong indeed, but no one could
       make head or tail of the matter.
         At this moment there was a furious ring at the bell, and
       a great knock at the door—exactly similar to the one which
       had  startled  the  company  at  Gania’s  house  in  the  after-
       noon.
         ‘Ah, ah! here’s the climax at last, at half-past twelve!’ cried
       Nastasia Philipovna. ‘Sit down, gentlemen, I beg you. Some-
       thing is about to happen.’
          So saying, she reseated herself; a strange smile played on
       her lips. She sat quite still, but watched the door in a fever
       of impatience.
         ‘Rogojin and his hundred thousand roubles, no doubt of
       it,’ muttered Ptitsin to himself.
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