Page 305 - the-idiot

‘You told her that?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, go on.’
‘She said, ‘I wouldn’t even have you for a footman now,
much less for a husband.’ ‘I shan’t leave the house,’ I said, ‘so
it doesn’t matter.’ ‘Then I shall call somebody and have you
kicked out,’ she cried. So then I rushed at her, and beat her
till she was bruised all over.’
‘Impossible!’ cried the prince, aghast.
‘I tell you it’s true,’ said Rogojin quietly, but with eyes
ablaze with passion.
‘Then for a day and a half I neither slept, nor ate, nor
drank, and would not leave her. I knelt at her feet: ‘I shall
die here,’ I said, ‘if you don’t forgive me; and if you have
me turned out, I shall drown myself; because, what should
I be without you now?’ She was like a madwoman all that
day; now she would cry; now she would threaten me with
a knife; now she would abuse me. She called in Zaleshoff
and Keller, and showed me to them, shamed me in their
presence. ‘Let’s all go to the theatre,’ she says, ‘and leave
him here if he won’t go—it’s not my business. They’ll give
you some tea, Parfen Semeonovitch, while I am away, for
you must be hungry.’ She came back from the theatre alone.
‘Those cowards wouldn’t come,’ she said. ‘They are afraid
of you, and tried to frighten me, too. ‘He won’t go away as
he came,’ they said, ‘he’ll cut your throat—see if he doesn’t.’
Now, I shall go to my bedroom, and I shall not even lock my
door, just to show you how much I am afraid of you. You
must be shown that once for all. Did you have tea?’ ‘No,’ I

0 The Idiot