Page 385 - the-idiot

of conscience and of strict justice. Whatever would have be-
come of me if P— had not looked after my education, and
had taken care of his own son instead of me?’
‘No, gentlemen, our scions of the nobility do not reason
thus. The lawyer, who had taken up the matter purely out
of friendship to the young man, and almost against his will,
invoked every consideration of justice, delicacy, honour,
and even plain figures; in vain, the ex-patient of the Swiss
lunatic asylum was inflexible. All this might pass, but the
sequel is absolutely unpardonable, and not to be excused
by any interesting malady. This millionaire, having but just
discarded the old gaiters of his professor, could not even
understand that the noble young man slaving away at his
lessons was not asking for charitable help, but for his right-
ful due, though the debt was not a legal one; that, correctly
speaking, he was not asking for anything, but it was merely
his friends who had thought fit to bestir themselves on his
behalf. With the cool insolence of a bloated capitalist, se-
cure in his millions, he majestically drew a banknote for
fifty roubles from his pocket-book and sent it to the noble
young man as a humiliating piece of charity. You can hardly
believe it, gentlemen! You are scandalized and disgusted;
you cry out in indignation! But that is what he did! Needless
to say, the money was returned, or rather flung back in his
face. The case is not within the province of the law, it must
be referred to the tribunal of public opinion; this is what we
now do, guaranteeing the truth of all the details which we
have related.’
When Colia had finished reading, he handed the paper to

The Idiot