Page 323 - the-idiot

was like a real brother to me at Moscow at one time, and did
a great deal for me. Bless him, mother, as you would bless
your own son. Wait a moment, let me arrange your hands
for you.’
But the old lady, before Parfen had time to touch her,
raised her right hand, and, with three fingers held up, de-
voutly made the sign of the cross three times over the prince.
She then nodded her head kindly at him once more.
‘There, come along, Lef Nicolaievitch; that’s all I brought
you here for,’ said Rogojin.
When they reached the stairs again he added:
‘She understood nothing of what I said to her, and did
not know what I wanted her to do, and yet she blessed you;
that shows she wished to do so herself. Well, goodbye; it’s
time you went, and I must go too.’
He opened his own door.
‘Well, let me at least embrace you and say goodbye, you
strange fellow!’ cried the prince, looking with gentle re-
proach at Rogojin, and advancing towards him. But the
latter had hardly raised his arms when he dropped them
again. He could not make up his mind to it; he turned away
from the prince in order to avoid looking at him. He could
not embrace him.
‘Don’t be afraid,’ he muttered, indistinctly, ‘though I have
taken your cross, I shall not murder you for your watch.’ So
saying, he laughed suddenly, and strangely. Then in a mo-
ment his face became transfigured; he grew deadly white,
his lips trembled, his eves burned like fire. He stretched out
his arms and held the prince tightly to him, and said in a

The Idiot