Page 545 - the-idiot

‘Oh, I don’t know. I’ve been half an hour here with him,
and he—‘
Hippolyte had been waiting for the prince all this time,
and had never ceased looking at him and Evgenie Pav-
lovitch as they conversed in the corner. He became much
excited when they approached the table once more. He was
disturbed in his mind, it seemed; perspiration stood in
large drops on his forehead; in his gleaming eyes it was easy
to read impatience and agitation; his gaze wandered from
face to face of those present, and from object to object in
the room, apparently without aim. He had taken a part, and
an animated one, in the noisy conversation of the company;
but his animation was clearly the outcome of fever. His talk
was almost incoherent; he would break off in the middle of
a sentence which he had begun with great interest, and for-
get what he had been saying. The prince discovered to his
dismay that Hippolyte had been allowed to drink two large
glasses of champagne; the one now standing by him being
the third. All this he found out afterwards; at the moment
he did not notice anything, very particularly.
‘Do you know I am specially glad that today is your birth-
day!’ cried Hippolyte.
‘Why?’
‘You’ll soon see. D’you know I had a feeling that there
would be a lot of people here tonight? It’s not the first time
that my presentiments have been fulfilled. I wish I had
known it was your birthday, I’d have brought you a pres-
ent—perhaps I have got a present for you! Who knows? Ha,
ha! How long is it now before daylight?’

The Idiot