Page 415 - the-idiot

are mad! They say society is savage and. inhuman because
it despises a young girl who has been seduced. But if you
call society inhuman you imply that the young girl is made
to suffer by its censure. How then, can you hold her up to
the scorn of society in the newspapers without realizing
that you are making her suffering, still greater? Madmen!
Vain fools! They don’t believe in God, they don’t believe in
Christ! But you are so eaten. up by pride and vanity, that
you will end by devouring each other—that is my prophecy!
Is not this absurd? Is it not monstrous chaos? And after all
this, that shameless creature will go and beg their pardon!
Are there many people like you? What are you smiling at?
Because I am not ashamed to disgrace myself before you?—
Yes, I am disgraced—it can’t be helped now! But don’t you
jeer at me, you scum!’ (this was aimed at Hippolyte). ‘He is
almost at his last gasp, yet he corrupts others. You, have got
hold of this lad ‘—(she pointed to Colia); ‘you, have turned
his head, you have taught him to be an atheist, you don’t
believe in God, and you are not too old to be whipped, sir!
A plague upon you! And so, Prince Lef Nicolaievitch, you
will call on them tomorrow, will you?’ she asked the prince
breathlessly, for the second time.
‘Yes.’
‘Then I will never speak to you again.’ She made a sud-
den movement to go, and then turned quickly back. ‘And
you will call on that atheist?’ she continued, pointing to
Hippolyte. ‘How dare you grin at me like that?’ she shout-
ed furiously, rushing at the invalid, whose mocking smile
drove her to distraction.

1 The Idiot