Page 688 - the-idiot

up and down like that. This evening Princess Bielokonski is
to arrive; she comes just in time—they have a party tonight.
He is to be presented to old Bielokonski, though I believe he
knows her already; probably the engagement will be openly
announced. They are only afraid that he may knock some-
thing down, or trip over something when he comes into the
room. It would be just like him.’
Gania listened attentively, but to his sister’s astonish-
ment he was by no means so impressed by this news (which
should, she thought, have been so important to him) as she
had expected.
‘Well, it was clear enough all along,’ he said, after a
moment’s reflection. ‘So that’s the end,’ he added, with a
disagreeable smile, continuing to walk up and down the
room, but much slower than before, and glancing slyly into
his sister’s face.
‘It’s a good thing that you take it philosophically, at all
events,’ said Varia. ‘I’m really very glad of it.’
‘Yes, it’s off our hands—off YOURS, I should say.’
‘I think I have served you faithfully. I never even asked
you what happiness you expected to find with Aglaya.’
‘Did I ever expect to find happiness with Aglaya?’
‘Come, come, don’t overdo your philosophy. Of course
you did. Now it’s all over, and a good thing, too; pair of fools
that we have been! I confess I have never been able to look
at it seriously. I busied myself in it for your sake, thinking
that there was no knowing what might happen with a funny
girl like that to deal with. There were ninety to one chances
against it. To this moment I can’t make out why you wished