Page 501 - the-idiot

would not have said a word all the rest of the time whether
forbidden to speak or not. His heart beat loud and painful-
ly when Aglaya spoke of the bench; could she—but no! he
banished the thought, after an instant’s deliberation.
At Pavlofsk, on weekdays, the public is more select than
it is on Sundays and Saturdays, when the townsfolk come
down to walk about and enjoy the park.
The ladies dress elegantly, on these days, and it is the
fashion to gather round the band, which is probably the best
of our pleasure-garden bands, and plays the newest pieces.
The behaviour of the public is most correct and proper, and
there is an appearance of friendly intimacy among the usu-
al frequenters. Many come for nothing but to look at their
acquaintances, but there are others who come for the sake
of the music. It is very seldom that anything happens to
break the harmony of the proceedings, though, of course,
accidents will happen everywhere.
On this particular evening the weather was lovely, and
there were a large number of people present. All the places
anywhere near the orchestra were occupied.
Our friends took chairs near the side exit. The crowd
and the music cheered Mrs. Epanchin a little, and amused
the girls; they bowed and shook hands with some of their
friends and nodded at a distance to others; they examined
the ladies’ dresses, noticed comicalities and eccentricities
among the people, and laughed and talked among them-
selves. Evgenie Pavlovitch, too, found plenty of friends to
bow to. Several people noticed Aglaya and the prince, who
were still together.

00 The Idiot