Page 651 - the-idiot

The prince gazed affectionately at Colia, who, of course,
had come in solely for the purpose of talking about this ‘gi-
gantic thought.’
‘But it is not any one particular thought, only; it is the
general circumstances of the case. If Voltaire had written
this now, or Rousseau, I should have just read it and thought
it remarkable, but should not have been so IMPRESSED by
it. But a man who knows for certain that he has but ten min-
utes to live and can talk like that—why—it’s—it’s PRIDE,
that is! It is really a most extraordinary, exalted assertion
of personal dignity, it’s—it’s DEFIANT! What a GIGAN-
TIC strength of will, eh? And to accuse a fellow like that
of not putting in the cap on purpose; it’s base and mean!
You know he deceived us last night, the cunning rascal. I
never packed his bag for him, and I never saw his pistol.
He packed it himself. But he put me off my guard like that,
you see. Vera says you are going to let him stay on; I swear
there’s no danger, especially as we are always with him.’
‘Who was by him at night?’
‘I, and Burdovsky, and Kostia Lebedeff. Keller stayed a
little while, and then went over to Lebedeff’s to sleep. Fer-
dishenko slept at Lebedeff’s, too; but he went away at seven
o’clock. My father is always at Lebedeff’s; but he has gone
out just now. I dare say Lebedeff will be coming in here di-
rectly; he has been looking for you; I don’t know what he
wants. Shall we let him in or not, if you are asleep? I’m going
to have a nap, too. By-theby, such a curious thing happened.
Burdovsky woke me at seven, and I met my father just out-
side the room, so drunk, he didn’t even know me. He stood

0 The Idiot