Page 591 - the-idiot

cried, trembling with feverish agitation, and his eyes flash-
ing with excitement. I repeated once more that I could not
hold out much hope—that it would probably end in smoke,
and if I did not turn up next morning they must make up
their minds that there was no more to be done in the mat-
ter.
‘They showed me out with bows and every kind of re-
spect; they seemed quite beside themselves. I shall never
forget the expression of their faces!
‘I took a droshky and drove over to the Vassili Ostroff at
once. For some years I had been at enmity with this young
Bachmatoff, at school. We considered him an aristocrat; at
all events I called him one. He used to dress smartly, and
always drove to school in a private trap. He was a good com-
panion, and was always merry and jolly, sometimes even
witty, though he was not very intellectual, in spite of the
fact that he was always top of the class; I myself was never
top in anything! All his companions were very fond of him,
excepting myself. He had several times during those years
come up to me and tried to make friends; but I had always
turned sulkily away and refused to have anything to do
with him. I had not seen him for a whole year now; he was
at the university. When, at nine o’clock, or so, this evening,
I arrived and was shown up to him with great ceremony, he
first received me with astonishment, and not too affably, but
he soon cheered up, and suddenly gazed intently at me and
burst out laughing.
‘Why, what on earth can have possessed you to come and
see ME, Terentieff?’ he cried, with his usual pleasant, some-

0 The Idiot