Page 347 - the-idiot

again only yesterday. If you are his nephew, it follows that
I must also be a relation of yours, most excellent prince.
Never mind about that, it is only a foible; but just now he
assured me that all his life, from the day he was made an en-
sign to the 11th of last June, he has entertained at least two
hundred guests at his table every day. Finally, he went so
far as to say that they never rose from the table; they dined,
supped, and had tea, for fifteen hours at a stretch. This went
on for thirty years without a break; there was barely time
to change the table-cloth; directly one person left, anoth-
er took his place. On feast-days he entertained as many as
three hundred guests, and they numbered seven hundred
on the thousandth anniversary of the foundation of the
Russian Empire. It amounts to a passion with him; it makes
one uneasy to hear of it. It is terrible to have to entertain
people who do things on such a scale. That is why I wonder
whether such a man is not too hospitable for you and me.’
‘But you seem to be on the best of terms with him?’
‘Quite fraternal—I look upon it as a joke. Let us be broth-
ersin-law, it is all the same to me,—rather an honour than
not. But in spite of the two hundred guests and the thou-
sandth anniversary of the Russian Empire, I can see that he
is a very remarkable man. I am quite sincere. You said just
now that I always looked as if I was going to tell you a secret;
you are right. I have a secret to tell you: a certain person has
just let me know that she is very anxious for a secret inter-
view with you.’
‘Why should it be secret? Not at all; I will call on her my-
self tomorrow.’

The Idiot