Page 789 - the-idiot

There were even some who hated one another cordially. For
instance, old Princess Bielokonski had all her life despised
the wife of the ‘dignitary,’ while the latter was very far from
loving Lizabetha Prokofievna. The dignitary himself had
been General Epanchin’s protector from his youth up; and
the general considered him so majestic a personage that he
would have felt a hearty contempt for himself if he had even
for one moment allowed himself to pose as the great man’s
equal, or to think of him—in his fear and reverence-as any-
thing less than an Olympic God! There were others present
who had not met for years, and who had no feeling what-
ever for each other, unless it were dislike; and yet they met
tonight as though they had seen each other but yesterday in
some friendly and intimate assembly of kindred spirits.
It was not a large party, however. Besides Princess Bielo-
konski and the old dignitary (who was really a great man)
and his wife, there was an old military general—a count
or baron with a German name, a man reputed to possess
great knowledge and administrative ability. He was one of
those Olympian administrators who know everything ex-
cept Russia, pronounce a word of extraordinary wisdom,
admired by all, about once in five years, and, after being
an eternity in the service, generally die full of honour and
riches, though they have never done anything great, and
have even been hostile to all greatness. This general was
Ivan Fedorovitch’s immediate superior in the service; and
it pleased the latter to look upon him also as a patron. On
the other hand, the great man did not at all consider himself
Epanchin’s patron. He was always very cool to him, while

The Idiot