Page 354 - the-idiot

‘The child she carries is an orphan, too. She is Vera’s sis-
ter, my daughter Luboff. The day this babe was born, six
weeks ago, my wife died, by the will of God Almighty. ...
Yes... Vera takes her mother’s place, though she is but her
sister... nothing more ... nothing more...’
‘And you! You are nothing more than a fool, if you’ll ex-
cuse me! Well! well! you know that yourself, I expect,’ said
the lady indignantly.
Lebedeff bowed low. ‘It is the truth,’ he replied, with ex-
treme respect.
‘Oh, Mr. Lebedeff, I am told you lecture on the Apoca-
lypse. Is it true?’ asked Aglaya.
‘Yes, that is so ... for the last fifteen years.’
‘I have heard of you, and I think read of you in the news-
papers.’
‘No, that was another commentator, whom the papers
named. He is dead, however, and I have taken his place,’
said the other, much delighted.
‘We are neighbours, so will you be so kind as to come
over one day and explain the Apocalypse to me?’ said Agla-
ya. ‘I do not understand it in the least.’
‘Allow me to warn you,’ interposed General Ivolgin, that
he is the greatest charlatan on earth.’ He had taken the
chair next to the girl, and was impatient to begin talking.
‘No doubt there are pleasures and amusements peculiar to
the country,’ he continued, ‘and to listen to a pretended stu-
dent holding forth on the book of the Revelations may be
as good as any other. It may even be original. But ... you
seem to be looking at me with some surprise—may I intro-