Page 544 - the-idiot

deed. You must excuse my being a little absent this evening.
Do you know, I cannot somehow be attentive to anything
just now?’
‘I see, I see,’ said Evgenie, smiling gently. His mirth
seemed very near the surface this evening.
‘What do you see?’ said the prince, startled.
‘I don’t want you to suspect that I have simply come here
to deceive you and pump information out of you!’ said Evg-
enie, still smiling, and without making any direct reply to
the question.
‘Oh, but I haven’t the slightest doubt that you did come
to pump me,’ said the prince, laughing himself, at last; ‘and
I dare say you are quite prepared to deceive me too, so far
as that goes. But what of that? I’m not afraid of you; besides,
you’ll hardly believe it, I feel as though I really didn’t care
a scrap one way or the other, just now!—And-and-and as
you are a capital fellow, I am convinced of that, I dare say
we really shall end by being good friends. I like you very
much Evgenie Pavlovitch; I consider you a very good fel-
low indeed.’
‘Well, in any case, you are a most delightful man to have
to deal with, be the business what it may,’ concluded Evg-
enie. ‘Come along now, I’ll drink a glass to your health. I’m
charmed to have entered into alliance with you. By-the-by,’
he added suddenly, has this young Hippolyte come down to
stay with you
‘Yes.’
‘He’s not going to die at once, I should think, is he?’
‘Why?’