Page 372 - the-idiot

‘There is no necessity to see them, and it would be most un-
pleasant for your excellency. They do not deserve ...’
‘What? Pavlicheff’s son!’ cried the prince, much per-
turbed. ‘I know ... I know—but I entrusted this matter to
Gavrila Ardalionovitch. He told me ...’
At that moment Gania, accompanied by Ptitsin, came
out to the terrace. From an adjoining room came a noise of
angry voices, and General Ivolgin, in loud tones, seemed to
be trying to shout them down. Colia rushed off at once to
investigate the cause of the uproar.
‘This is most interesting!’ observed Evgenie Pavlovitch.
‘I expect he knows all about it!’ thought the prince.
‘What, the son of Pavlicheff? And who may this son of
Pavlicheff be?’ asked General Epanchin with surprise; and
looking curiously around him, he discovered that he alone
had no clue to the mystery. Expectation and suspense were
on every face, with the exception of that of the prince, who
stood gravely wondering how an affair so entirely personal
could have awakened such lively and widespread interest in
so short a time.
Aglaya went up to him with a peculiarly serious look
‘It will be well,’ she said, ‘if you put an end to this af-
fair yourself AT ONCE: but you must allow us to be your
witnesses. They want to throw mud at you, prince, and you
must be triumphantly vindicated. I give you joy before-
hand!’
‘And I also wish for justice to be done, once for all,’ cried
Madame Epanchin, ‘about this impudent claim. Deal with
them promptly, prince, and don’t spare them! I am sick of

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