Page 287 - the-idiot

he slept at the hotel close by. No doubt Colia is there, unless
he has gone to Pavlofsk to see the Epanchins. He had a little
money, and was intending to go there yesterday. He must be
either at the hotel or at Pavlofsk.’
‘At Pavlofsk! He is at Pavlofsk, undoubtedly!’ interrupted
Lebedeff…. ‘But come—let us go into the garden—we will
have coffee there….’ And Lebedeff seized the prince’s arm,
and led him from the room. They went across the yard, and
found themselves in a delightful little garden with the trees
already in their summer dress of green, thanks to the un-
usually fine weather. Lebedeff invited his guest to sit down
on a green seat before a table of the same colour fixed in the
earth, and took a seat facing him. In a few minutes the cof-
fee appeared, and the prince did not refuse it. The host kept
his eyes fixed on Muishkin, with an expression of passion-
ate servility.
‘I knew nothing about your home before,’ said the prince
absently, as if he were thinking of something else.
‘Poor orphans,’ began Lebedeff, his face assuming a
mournful air, but he stopped short, for the other looked at
him inattentively, as if he had already forgotten his own re-
mark. They waited a few minutes in silence, while Lebedeff
sat with his eyes fixed mournfully on the young man’s face.
‘Well!’ said the latter, at last rousing himself. ‘Ah! yes!
You know why I came, Lebedeff. Your letter brought me.
Speak! Tell me all about it.’
The clerk, rather confused, tried to say something, hesi-
tated, began to speak, and again stopped. The prince looked
at him gravely.

The Idiot