Page 38 - the-idiot

pleasant feeling was the smile with which he looked at the
general as he spoke, that the latter suddenly paused, and ap-
peared to gaze at his guest from quite a new point of view,
all in an instant.
‘Do you know, prince,’ he said, in quite a different tone, ‘I
do not know you at all, yet, and after all, Elizabetha Proko-
fievna would very likely be pleased to have a peep at a man
of her own name. Wait a little, if you don’t mind, and if you
have time to spare?’
‘Oh, I assure you I’ve lots of time, my time is entirely my
own!’ And the prince immediately replaced his soft, round
hat on the table. ‘I confess, I thought Elizabetha Proko-
fievna would very likely remember that I had written her
a letter. Just now your servant—outside there—was dread-
fully suspicious that I had come to beg of you. I noticed that!
Probably he has very strict instructions on that score; but
I assure you I did not come to beg. I came to make some
friends. But I am rather bothered at having disturbed you;
that’s all I care about.—‘
‘Look here, prince,’ said the general, with a cordial smile,
‘if you really are the sort of man you appear to be, it may
be a source of great pleasure to us to make your better ac-
quaintance; but, you see, I am a very busy man, and have to
be perpetually sitting here and signing papers, or off to see
his excellency, or to my department, or somewhere; so that
though I should be glad to see more of people, nice peo-
ple—you see, I—however, I am sure you are so well brought
up that you will see at once, and— but how old are you,
prince?’