Page 749 - the-idiot

tains out of molehills.
And so the conclusion of the matter was that it would
be far better to take it quietly, and wait coolly to see what
would turn up. But, alas! peace did not reign for more than
ten minutes. The first blow dealt to its power was in certain
news communicated to Lizabetha Prokofievna as to events
which bad happened during her trip to see the princess.
(This trip had taken place the day after that on which the
prince had turned up at the Epanchins at nearly one o’clock
at night, thinking it was nine.)
The sisters replied candidly and fully enough to their
mother’s impatient questions on her return. They said, in
the first place, that nothing particular had happened since
her departure; that the prince had been, and that Aglaya had
kept him waiting a long while before she appeared—half an
hour, at least; that she had then come in, and immediately
asked the prince to have a game of chess; that the prince
did not know the game, and Aglaya had beaten him easily;
that she had been in a wonderfully merry mood, and had
laughed at the prince, and chaffed him so unmercifully that
one was quite sorry to see his wretched expression.
She had then asked him to play cards—the game called
‘little fools.’ At this game the tables were turned completely,
for the prince had shown himself a master at it. Aglaya had
cheated and changed cards, and stolen others, in the most
bare-faced way, but, in spite of everything the prince had
beaten her hopelessly five times running, and she had been
left ‘little fool’ each time.
Aglaya then lost her temper, and began to say such aw-

The Idiot