Page 881 - the-idiot

whispering and excited exclamations. The prince stayed
near the altar, while Keller made off once more to fetch the
bride.
On reaching the gate of Daria Alexeyevna’s house, Keller
found a far denser crowd than he had encountered at the
prince’s. The remarks and exclamations of the spectators
here were of so irritating a nature that Keller was very near
making them a speech on the impropriety of their conduct,
but was luckily caught by Burdovsky, in the act of turning
to address them, and hurried indoors.
Nastasia Philipovna was ready. She rose from her seat,
looked into the glass and remarked, as Keller told the tale
afterwards, that she was ‘as pale as a corpse.’ She then bent
her head reverently, before the ikon in the corner, and left
the room.
A torrent of voices greeted her appearance at the front
door. The crowd whistled, clapped its hands, and laughed
and shouted; but in a moment or two isolated voices were
distinguishable.
‘What a beauty!’ cried one.
‘Well, she isn’t the first in the world, nor the last,’ said
another.
‘Marriage covers everything,’ observed a third.
‘I defy you to find another beauty like that,’ said a
fourth.
‘She’s a real princess! I’d sell my soul for such a princess
as that!’
Nastasia came out of the house looking as white as any
handkerchief; but her large dark eyes shone upon the vul-

0 The Idiot