Page 547 - the-idiot

among us that no one should interrupt, no one should
laugh, that each person was to express his thoughts freely;
and then at the end, when everyone had spoken, objections
might be made, even by the atheists. We chose the general
as president. Now without some such rule and order, any-
one might be shouted down, even in the loftiest and most
profound thought….’
‘Go on! Go on! Nobody is going to interrupt you!’ cried
several voices.
‘Speak, but keep to the point!’
‘What is this ‘star’?’ asked another.
I have no idea,’ replied General Ivolgin, who presided
with much gravity.
‘I love these arguments, prince,’ said Keller, also more
than half intoxicated, moving restlessly in his chair. ‘Scien-
tific and political.’ Then, turning suddenly towards Evgenie
Pavlovitch, who was seated near him: ‘Do you know, I sim-
ply adore reading the accounts of the debates in the English
parliament. Not that the discussions themselves interest
me; I am not a politician, you know; but it delights me to
see how they address each other ‘the noble lord who agrees
with me,’ ‘my honourable opponent who astonished Europe
with his proposal,’ ‘the noble viscount sitting opposite’—all
these expressions, all this parliamentarism of a free people,
has an enormous attraction for me. It fascinates me, prince.
I have always been an artist in the depths of my soul, I as-
sure you, Evgenie Pavlovitch.’
‘Do you mean to say,’ cried Gania, from the other corner,
‘do you mean to say that railways are accursed inventions,

The Idiot