Page 856 - the-idiot

in the hearts of his friends. Even Vera Lebedeff was angry
with him for a while; so was Colia; so was Keller, until he
was selected for best man; so was Lebedeff himself,—who
began to intrigue against him out of pure irritation;—but of
this anon. In fact we are in full accord with certain forcible
words spoken to the prince by Evgenie Pavlovitch, quite un-
ceremoniously, during the course of a friendly conversation,
six or seven days after the events at Nastasia Philipovna’s
house.
We may remark here that not only the Epanchins them-
selves, but all who had anything to do with them, thought
it right to break with the prince in consequence of his con-
duct. Prince S. even went so far as to turn away and cut him
dead in the street. But Evgenie Pavlovitch was not afraid to
compromise himself by paying the prince a visit, and did so,
in spite of the fact that he had recommenced to visit at the
Epanchins’, where he was received with redoubled hospital-
ity and kindness after the temporary estrangement.
Evgenie called upon the prince the day after that on
which the Epanchins left Pavlofsk. He knew of all the cur-
rent rumours,—in fact, he had probably contributed to
them himself. The prince was delighted to see him, and im-
mediately began to speak of the Epanchins;—which simple
and straightforward opening quite took Evgenie’s fancy, so
that he melted at once, and plunged in medias res without
ceremony.
The prince did not know, up to this, that the Epanchins
had left the place. He grew very pale on hearing the news;
but a moment later he nodded his head, and said thought-