Page 862 - the-idiot

other woman, when you have already made her a formal
proposal of marriage? And you DID propose to her, you
know; you did so before her parents and sisters. Can you
be an honest man, prince, if you act so? I ask you! And did
you not deceive that beautiful girl when you assured her of
your love?’
‘Yes, you are quite right. Oh! I feel that I am very guilty!’
said Muishkin, in deepest distress.
‘But as if that is enough!’ cried Evgenie, indignantly. ‘As
if it is enough simply to say: ‘I know I am very guilty!’ You
are to blame, and yet you persevere in evil-doing. Where
was your heart, I should like to know, your CHRISTIAN
HEART, all that time? Did she look as though she were
suffering less, at that moment? You saw her face—was she
suffering less than the other woman? How could you see her
suffering and allow it to continue? How could you?’
‘But I did not allow it,’ murmured the wretched prince.
‘How—what do you mean you didn’t allow?’
‘Upon my word, I didn’t! To this moment I don’t know
how it all happened. I—I ran after Aglaya Ivanovna, but
Nastasia Philipovna fell down in a faint; and since that day
they won’t let me see Aglaya—that’s all I know.’
‘It’s all the same; you ought to have run after Aglaya
though the other was fainting.’
‘Yes, yes, I ought—but I couldn’t! She would have died—
she would have killed herself. You don’t know her; and I
should have told Aglaya everything afterwards—but I see,
Evgenie Pavlovitch, you don’t know all. Tell me now, why
am I not allowed to see Aglaya? I should have cleared it all

1