Page 404 - the-idiot

Burdovsky silently resumed his seat, and bent his head
as though in profound thought. His friend, Lebedeff’s
nephew, who had risen to accompany him, also sat down
again. He seemed much disappointed, though as self-con-
fident as ever. Hippolyte looked dejected and sulky, as well
as surprised. He had just been attacked by a violent fit of
coughing, so that his handkerchief was stained with blood.
The boxer looked thoroughly frightened.
‘Oh, Antip!’ cried he in a miserable voice, ‘I did say to you
the other day—the day before yesterday—that perhaps you
were not really Pavlicheff’s son!’
There were sounds of half-smothered laughter at this.
‘Now, that is a valuable piece of information, Mr. Keller,’
replied Gania. ‘However that may be, I have private infor-
mation which convinces me that Mr. Burdovsky, though
doubtless aware of the date of his birth, knew nothing at
all about Pavlicheff’s sojourn abroad. Indeed, he passed
the greater part of his life out of Russia, returning at in-
tervals for short visits. The journey in question is in itself
too unimportant for his friends to recollect it after more
than twenty years; and of course Mr. Burdovsky could have
known nothing about it, for he was not born. As the event
has proved, it was not impossible to find evidence of his ab-
sence, though I must confess that chance has helped me in
a quest which might very well have come to nothing. It was
really almost impossible for Burdovsky or Tchebaroff to
discover these facts, even if it had entered their heads to try.
Naturally they never dreamt...
Here the voice of Hippolyte suddenly intervened.

0