Page 345 - the-idiot

by waving your hands and creeping in and out in the mys-
terious way you do.’
It was a fact that Lebedeff, though he was so anxious to
keep everyone else from disturbing the patient, was contin-
ually in and out of the prince’s room himself. He invariably
began by opening the door a crack and peering in to see if
the prince was there, or if he had escaped; then he would
creep softly up to the armchair, sometimes making Muish-
kin jump by his sudden appearance. He always asked if the
patient wanted anything, and when the latter replied that
he only wanted to be left in peace, he would turn away obe-
diently and make for the door on tip-toe, with deprecatory
gestures to imply that he had only just looked in, that he
would not speak a word, and would go away and not in-
trude again; which did not prevent him from reappearing
in ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. Colia had free access
to the prince, at which Lebedeff was quite disgusted and
indignant. He would listen at the door for half an hour at a
time while the two were talking. Colia found this out, and
naturally told the prince of his discovery.
‘Do you think yourself my master, that you try to keep
me under lock and key like this?’ said the prince to Leb-
edeff. ‘In the country, at least, I intend to be free, and you
may make up your mind that I mean to see whom I like, and
go where I please.’
‘Why, of course,’ replied the clerk, gesticulating with his
hands.
The prince looked him sternly up and down.
‘Well, Lukian Timofeyovitch, have you brought the little

The Idiot