Page 797 - the-idiot

to why Pavlicheff had taken so great an interest in the little
prince, his ward.
‘In point of fact I don’t think I thought much about it,’
said the old fellow. He seemed to have a wonderfully good
memory, however, for he told the prince all about the two
old ladies, Pavlicheff’s cousins, who had taken care of him,
and whom, he declared, he had taken to task for being too
severe with the prince as a small sickly boy—the elder sis-
ter, at least; the younger had been kind, he recollected. They
both now lived in another province, on a small estate left to
them by Pavlicheff. The prince listened to all this with eyes
sparkling with emotion and delight.
He declared with unusual warmth that he would nev-
er forgive himself for having travelled about in the central
provinces during these last six months without having
hunted up his two old friends.
He declared, further, that he had intended to go every
day, but had always been prevented by circumstances; but
that now he would promise himself the pleasure—however
far it was, he would find them out. And so Ivan Petrovitch
REALLY knew Natalia Nikitishna!what a saintly nature
was hers!—and Martha Nikitishna! Ivan Petrovitch must
excuse him, but really he was not quite fair on dear old
Martha. She was severe, perhaps; but then what else could
she be with such a little idiot as he was then? (Ha, ha.) He
really was an idiot then, Ivan Petrovitch must know, though
he might not believe it. (Ha, ha.) So he had really seen him
there! Good heavens! And was he really and truly and actu-
ally a cousin of Pavlicheff’s?

The Idiot