Page 661 - the-idiot

thinks sadly of her, especially in the morning, when he’s
putting on his boots. I don’t know why it’s at that time. But
he has no money, and it’s no use his going to see her without.
Has he borrowed any money from you, prince?’
‘No, he has not.’
‘Ah, he’s ashamed to! He MEANT to ask you, I know, for
he said so. I suppose he thinks that as you gave him some
once (you remember), you would probably refuse if he asked
you again.’
‘Do you ever give him money?’
‘Prince! Money! Why I would give that man not only my
money, but my very life, if he wanted it. Well, perhaps that’s
exaggeration; not life, we’ll say, but some illness, a boil or
a bad cough, or anything of that sort, I would stand with
pleasure, for his sake; for I consider him a great man fall-
en—money, indeed!’
‘H’m, then you DO give him money?’
‘N-no, I have never given him money, and he knows well
that I will never give him any; because I am anxious to keep
him out of intemperate ways. He is going to town with me
now; for you must know I am off to Petersburg after Fer-
dishenko, while the scent is hot; I’m certain he is there. I
shall let the general go one way, while I go the other; we
have so arranged matters in order to pop out upon Ferdish-
enko, you see, from different sides. But I am going to follow
that naughty old general and catch him, I know where, at a
certain widow’s house; for I think it will be a good lesson, to
put him to shame by catching him with the widow.’
‘Oh, Lebedeff, don’t, don’t make any scandal about it!’

0 The Idiot