Page 480 - the-idiot

The prince certainly was very pale. He sat at the table
and seemed to be feeling, by turns, sensations of alarm and
rapture.
Oh, how frightened he was of looking to one side—one
particular corner—whence he knew very well that a pair of
dark eyes were watching him intently, and how happy he
was to think that he was once more among them, and oc-
casionally hearing that well-known voice, although she had
written and forbidden him to come again!
‘What on earth will she say to me, I wonder?’ he thought
to himself.
He had not said a word yet; he sat silent and listened to
Evgenie Pavlovitch’s eloquence. The latter had never ap-
peared so happy and excited as on this evening. The prince
listened to him, but for a long time did not take in a word
he said.
Excepting Ivan Fedorovitch, who had not as yet returned
from town, the whole family was present. Prince S. was
there; and they all intended to go out to hear the band very
soon.
Colia arrived presently and joined the circle. ‘So he is re-
ceived as usual, after all,’ thought the prince.
The Epanchins’ country-house was a charming building,
built after the model of a Swiss chalet, and covered with
creepers. It was surrounded on all sides by a flower garden,
and the family sat, as a rule, on the open verandah as at the
prince’s house.
The subject under discussion did not appear to be very
popular with the assembly, and some would have been de-