Page 726 - the-idiot

IV

HE time appointed was twelve o’clock, and the prince,
Treturning home unexpectedly late, found the general
waiting for him. At the first glance, he saw that the latter
was displeased, perhaps because he had been kept waiting.
The prince apologized, and quickly took a seat. He seemed
strangely timid before the general this morning, for some
reason, and felt as though his visitor were some piece of chi-
na which he was afraid of breaking.
On scrutinizing him, the prince soon saw that the gener-
al was quite a different man from what he had been the day
before; he looked like one who had come to some momen-
tous resolve. His calmness, however, was more apparent
than real. He was courteous, but there was a suggestion of
injured innocence in his manner.
‘I’ve brought your book back,’ he began, indicating a
book lying on the table. ‘Much obliged to you for lending
it to me.’
‘Ah, yes. Well, did you read it, general? It’s curious, isn’t
it?’ said the prince, delighted to be able to open up conversa-
tion upon an outside subject.
‘Curious enough, yes, but crude, and of course dreadful
nonsense; probably the man lies in every other sentence.’
The general spoke with considerable confidence, and
dragged his words out with a conceited drawl.