Page 232 - the-idiot

contrived to walk side by side with Rogojin, for he quite un-
derstood the importance of a man who had a fortune of a
million odd roubles, and who at this moment carried a hun-
dred thousand in his hand. It may be added that the whole
company, not excepting Lebedeff, had the vaguest idea of
the extent of their powers, and of how far they could safely
go. At some moments Lebedeff was sure that right was on
their side; at others he tried uneasily to remember various
cheering and reassuring articles of the Civil Code.
Rogojin, when he stepped into the room, and his eyes
fell upon Nastasia, stopped short, grew white as a sheet,
and stood staring; it was clear that his heart was beating
painfully. So he stood, gazing intently, but timidly, for a
few seconds. Suddenly, as though bereft of his senses, he
moved forward, staggering helplessly, towards the table. On
his way he collided against Ptitsin’s chair, and put his dirty
foot on the lace skirt of the silent lady’s dress; but he neither
apologized for this, nor even noticed it.
On reaching the table, he placed upon it a strange-
looking object, which he had carried with him into the
drawing-room. This was a paper packet, some six or seven
inches thick, and eight or nine in length, wrapped in an old
newspaper, and tied round three or four times with string.
Having placed this before her, he stood with drooped
arms and head, as though awaiting his sentence.
His costume was the same as it had been in the morning,
except for a new silk handkerchief round his neck, bright
green and red, fastened with a huge diamond pin, and an
enormous diamond ring on his dirty forefinger.

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