Page 541 - the-idiot

out so late?’ he replied that he could not believe that he had
thought himself dying three days or so ago, for he never had
felt better than this evening.
Burdovsky next jumped up and explained that he had
come in by accident, having escorted Hippolyte from town.
He murmured that he was glad he had ‘written nonsense’ in
his letter, and then pressed the prince’s hand warmly and
sat down again.
The prince approached Evgenie Pavlovitch last of all. The
latter immediately took his arm.
‘I have a couple of words to say to you,’ he began, ‘and
those on a very important matter; let’s go aside for a min-
ute or two.’
‘Just a couple of words!’ whispered another voice in the
prince’s other ear, and another hand took his other arm.
Muishkin turned, and to his great surprise observed a red,
flushed face and a droll-looking figure which he recognized
at once as that of Ferdishenko. Goodness knows where he
had turned up from!
‘Do you remember Ferdishenko?’ he asked.
‘Where have you dropped from?’ cried the prince.
‘He is sorry for his sins now, prince,’ cried Keller. ‘He did
not want to let you know he was here; he was hidden over
there in the corner,—but he repents now, he feels his guilt.’
‘Why, what has he done?’
‘I met him outside and brought him in—he’s a gentleman
who doesn’t often allow his friends to see him, of late—but
he’s sorry now.’
‘Delighted, I’m sure!—I’ll come back directly, gentle-

0 The Idiot