Page 436 - the-idiot

ice! I would kill you if I remained alive! I do not want your
benefits; I will accept none from anyone; do you hear? Not
from any one! I want nothing! I was delirious, do not dare
to triumph! I curse every one of you, once for all!’
Breath failed him here, and he was obliged to stop.
‘He is ashamed of his tears!’ whispered Lebedeff to Liza-
betha Prokofievna. ‘It was inevitable. Ah! what a wonderful
man the prince is! He read his very soul.’
But Mrs. Epanchin would not deign to look at Lebedeff.
Drawn up haughtily, with her head held high, she gazed at
the ‘riff-raff,’ with scornful curiosity. When Hippolyte had
finished, Ivan Fedorovitch shrugged his shoulders, and his
wife looked him angrily up and down, as if to demand the
meaning of his movement. Then she turned to the prince.
‘Thanks, prince, many thanks, eccentric friend of the
family, for the pleasant evening you have provided for us.
I am sure you are quite pleased that you have managed to
mix us up with your extraordinary affairs. It is quite enough,
dear family friend; thank you for giving us an opportunity
of getting to know you so well.’
She arranged her cloak with hands that trembled with
anger as she waited for the ‘riff-raff ‘to go. The cab which
Lebedeff’s son had gone to fetch a quarter of an hour ago,
by Doktorenko’s order, arrived at that moment. The general
thought fit to put in a word after his wife.
‘Really, prince, I hardly expected after—after all our
friendly intercourse— and you see, Lizabetha Prokofiev-
na—‘
‘Papa, how can you?’ cried Adelaida, walking quickly up