Page 93 - the-idiot

When he was wide awake and realized the truth, he became
very silent and argued no more—so they say; but after a bit
he said: ‘It comes very hard on one so suddenly’ and then he
was silent again and said nothing.
‘The three or four hours went by, of course, in necessary
preparations—the priest, breakfast, (coffee, meat, and some
wine they gave him; doesn’t it seem ridiculous?) And yet I
believe these people give them a good breakfast out of pure
kindness of heart, and believe that they are doing a good
action. Then he is dressed, and then begins the procession
through the town to the scaffold. I think he, too, must feel
that he has an age to live still while they cart him along.
Probably he thought, on the way, ‘Oh, I have a long, long
time yet. Three streets of life yet! When we’ve passed this
street there’ll be that other one; and then that one where the
baker’s shop is on the right; and when shall we get there? It’s
ages, ages!’ Around him are crowds shouting, yelling—ten
thousand faces, twenty thousand eyes. All this has to be en-
dured, and especially the thought: ‘Here are ten thousand
men, and not one of them is going to be executed, and yet I
am to die.’ Well, all that is preparatory.
‘At the scaffold there is a ladder, and just there he burst
into tears—and this was a strong man, and a terribly wick-
ed one, they say! There was a priest with him the whole time,
talking; even in the cart as they drove along, he talked and
talked. Probably the other heard nothing; he would begin
to listen now and then, and at the third word or so he had
forgotten all about it.
‘At last he began to mount the steps; his legs were tied, so

The Idiot