Page 622 - the-idiot

mean to say that you doubt the fact that he is capable of
murdering ten men?’
‘I daren’t say, one way or the other; all this is very
strange— but—‘
‘Well, as you like, just as you like,’ said Evgenie Pavlov-
itch, irritably. ‘Only you are such a plucky fellow, take care
you don’t get included among the ten victims!’
‘Oh, he is much more likely not to kill anyone at all,’
said the prince, gazing thoughtfully at Evgenie. The latter
laughed disagreeably.
‘Well, au revoir! Did you observe that he ‘willed’ a copy
of his confession to Aglaya Ivanovna?’
‘Yes, I did; I am thinking of it.’
‘In connection with ‘the ten,’ eh?’ laughed Evgenie, as he
left the room.
An hour later, towards four o’clock, the prince went into
the park. He had endeavoured to fall asleep, but could not,
owing to the painful beating of his heart.
He had left things quiet and peaceful; the invalid was fast
asleep, and the doctor, who had been called in, had stated
that there was no special danger. Lebedeff, Colia, and Bur-
dovsky were lying down in the sick-room, ready to take it
in turns to watch. There was nothing to fear, therefore, at
home.
But the prince’s mental perturbation increased every
moment. He wandered about the park, looking absently
around him, and paused in astonishment when he sudden-
ly found himself in the empty space with the rows of chairs
round it, near the Vauxhall. The look of the place struck

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