Page 527 - the-idiot

beg his pardon, that’s all. But if we must fight—we’ll fight!
Let him have a shot at me, by all means; I should rather
like it. Ha, ha, ha! I know how to load a pistol now; do you
know how to load a pistol, Keller? First, you have to buy
the powder, you know; it mustn’t be wet, and it mustn’t be
that coarse stuff that they load cannons with—it must be
pistol powder. Then you pour the powder in, and get hold
of a bit of felt from some door, and then shove the bullet
in. But don’t shove the bullet in before the powder, because
the thing wouldn’t go off—do you hear, Keller, the thing
wouldn’t go off! Ha, ha, ha! Isn’t that a grand reason, Keller,
my friend, eh? Do you know, my dear fellow, I really must
kiss you, and embrace you, this very moment. Ha, ha! How
was it you so suddenly popped up in front of me as you did?
Come to my house as soon as you can, and we’ll have some
champagne. We’ll all get drunk! Do you know I have a doz-
en of champagne in Lebedeff’s cellar? Lebedeff sold them to
me the day after I arrived. I took the lot. We’ll invite every-
body! Are you going to do any sleeping tonight?’
‘As much as usual, prince—why?’
‘Pleasant dreams then—ha, ha!’
The prince crossed the road, and disappeared into the
park, leaving the astonished Keller in a state of ludicrous
wonder. He had never before seen the prince in such a
strange condition of mind, and could not have imagined
the possibility of it.
‘Fever, probably,’ he said to himself, ‘for the man is all
nerves, and this business has been a little too much for him.
He is not AFRAID, that’s clear; that sort never funks! H’m!

The Idiot