Page 700 - the-idiot

telling me about some Captain Eropegoff. I don’t wish for
your company, general. I always avoided you—you know
that. What have I to do with Captain Eropegoff? All I did
was to express my opinion that probably Captain Eropegoff
never existed at all!’
‘Of course he never existed!’ Gania interrupted.
But the general only stood stupefied and gazed around
in a dazed way. Gania’s speech had impressed him, with its
terrible candour. For the first moment or two he could find
no words to answer him, and it was only when Hippolyte
burst out laughing, and said:
‘There, you see! Even your own son supports my statement
that there never was such a person as Captain Eropegoff!’
that the old fellow muttered confusedly:
‘Kapiton Eropegoff—not Captain Eropegoff!—Kapiton—
major retired—Eropegoff—Kapiton.’
‘Kapiton didn’t exist either!’ persisted Gania, malicious-
ly.
‘What? Didn’t exist?’ cried the poor general, and a deep
blush suffused his face.
‘That’ll do, Gania!’ cried Varia and Ptitsin.
‘Shut up, Gania!’ said Colia.
But this intercession seemed to rekindle the general.
‘What did you mean, sir, that he didn’t exist? Explain
yourself,’ he repeated, angrily.
‘Because he DIDN’T exist—never could and never did—
there! You’d better drop the subject, I warn you!’
‘And this is my son—my own son—whom I—oh, gra-
cious Heaven! Eropegoff—Eroshka Eropegoff didn’t exist!’