Page 483 - the-idiot

were not speaking of literature; we began by discussing the
socialists. Very well then, I insist that there does not exist
one single Russian socialist. There does not, and there has
never existed such a one, because all socialists are derived
from the two classes—the landed proprietors, and the sem-
inarists. All our eminent socialists are merely old liberals
of the class of landed proprietors, men who were liberals
in the days of serfdom. Why do you laugh? Give me their
books, give me their studies, their memoirs, and though I
am not a literary critic, yet I will prove as clear as day that
every chapter and every word of their writings has been the
work of a former landed proprietor of the old school. You’ll
find that all their raptures, all their generous transports are
proprietary, all their woes and their tears, proprietary; all
proprietary or seminarist! You are laughing again, and you,
prince, are smiling too. Don’t you agree with me?’
It was true enough that everybody was laughing, the
prince among them.
‘I cannot tell you on the instant whether I agree with you
or not,’ said the latter, suddenly stopping his laughter, and
starting like a schoolboy caught at mischief. ‘But, I assure
you, I am listening to you with extreme gratification.’
So saying, he almost panted with agitation, and a cold
sweat stood upon his forehead. These were his first words
since he had entered the house; he tried to lift his eyes, and
look around, but dared not; Evgenie Pavlovitch noticed his
confusion, and smiled.
‘I’ll just tell you one fact, ladies and gentlemen,’ continued
the latter, with apparent seriousness and even exaltation of

The Idiot