The Idiot (50 page)

‘In my opinion,’ the prince began rather quietly, ‘in my opinion, Mr Doktorenko, in all that you have said just now, you are halfway quite correct, I would even agree that it is by far the greater half, and I would agree with you completely if you hadn’t left something out in what you said. Precisely what you left out, I am unable and am in no position to express to you exactly, but for what you said to be completely correct, something is certainly lacking. But let us rather turn to the matter itself. Gentlemen, tell me, why did you publish this article? I mean, every word in it is a slander; and so, gentlemen, in my opinion, you’ve done something rather base.’

‘If you please! ...’

‘My dear sir! ...’

‘It’s ... it’s ... it’s ...’ for their part, the excited visitors uttered simultaneously.

‘With regard to the article,’ Ippolit interjected shrilly, ‘with regard to this article I’ve already told you that I and the others do not approve of it! He’s the one who wrote it’ - he pointed to the boxer sitting next to him - ‘wrote it indecently, I agree, wrote it illiterately and in the style that retired military men like him employ. He’s stupid, and an opportunist, too, I tell him that to his face every day, but even so he was half right: freedom of speech is everyone’s legal right, and therefore it’s Burdovsky’s too. As for his absurdities, let him answer for them himself. With regard to my earlier protest on behalf of us all against your friends being present, I think it necessary to explain to you, dear sirs, that I protested solely in order to declare our right, but that in reality we actually want there to be witnesses-and earlier on, before we came here, all four of us agreed on that. Whoever your witnesses are-even if they are your friends- since they cannot but concede Burdovsky’s right (because it is, obviously, a mathematical one), then it’s even better that these witnesses are your friends; the truth will present itself even more evidently.’

‘That’s true, we agreed on that,’ Lebedev’s nephew confirmed.

‘Then why was there such noise and shouting earlier, if that was what you wanted?’ the prince asked in astonishment.

‘But as regards the article, Prince,’ the boxer inserted, dreadfully eager to get his word in and growing pleasantly animated (one might have suspected that the presence of the ladies was having a visible and powerful e
ffect on him), ‘as regards the article, I confess that I am indeed its author, though my sick friend, whom I’m accustomed to forgive everything because of his debility, has just criticized it to shreds. But I did write it, and I published it in the journal of a true friend of mine, in the form of a correspondence. Though the poem’s not really mine, and actually belongs to the pen of a well-known humorist. I merely read it to Burdovsky, and even then not all of it, and at once received his agreement to publish it, but you’ll agree that I couldn’t have published it without his agreement. Freedom of speech is a universal, noble and salutary right. I hope, Prince, that you’re progressive enough not to deny that ...’

‘I won’t deny anything, but you must admit that in your article ...’

‘I was harsh, you mean? But you see, this case involves the public interest, you must admit that, and, in any case, is it possible to turn a blind eye to such a provocative incident? So much the worse for the culprits, but the interests of society come first. As for certain imprecisions, so to speak, certain hyperboles, you must also admit that initiative is the most important thing, the aim and the intention; what’s important is a salutary example, and only after that can we examine individual cases, and, lastly, there’s the matter of style, the humorous angle, so to speak, and in any case - everyone writes like that, you must admit! Ha-ha!’

‘But you’re completely on the wrong track. I do assure you, gentlemen,’ the prince exclaimed, ‘you published the article on the assumption that I would on no account agree to give Mr Burdovsky satisfaction, so you could frighten me and take your revenge on me in some way. But how do you know: perhaps I may have decided to give Burdovsky satisfaction. In fact, I declare to you straight, in front of everyone now, that I
will
give him satisfaction ...’

‘There, at last, are the decent and intelligent words of a decent and intelligent man!’ the boxer proclaimed.

‘Good Lord!’ blurted Lizaveta Prokofyevna.

‘This is intolerable!’ muttered the general.

‘Allow me, gentlemen, allow me, I will explain the matter,’ implored the prince: ‘About five weeks ago, Mr Burdovsky, your attorney and solicitor, Chebarov, arrived in Z. You described him very flatteringly, Mr Keller, in your article,’ the prince addressed the boxer, laughing suddenly, ‘but I didn’t like the look of him at all. I simply realized at once that the principal substance of this affair lies entirely in the person of this Chebarov, that it was possibly he who put you up to all this, Mr Burdovsky, taking advantage of your simplicity, and got you to start this business, if I may be frank.’

‘You have no right ... I’m ... not simple ... this is ...’ Burdovsky began to babble in excitement.

‘You have no right to make such assumptions,’ Lebedev’s nephew intervened sententiously.

‘This is offensive in the highest degree!’ Ippolit began to squeal. ‘It’s an offensive assumption, false and irrelevant to the matter in hand!’

‘I’m sorry, gentlemen, I’m sorry,’ the prince hurriedly apologized. ‘Please, forgive me; it’s because I thought it would be better if we were completely open with one another; but do as you please, do as you like. I told Chebarov that as I was in St Petersburg, I would immediately grant a friend power of attorney to conduct this case, and that I’d inform you of that, Mr Burdovsky. I will tell you straight, gentlemen, that this case seemed to me one of out-and-out fraud, precisely because Chebarov was involved in it ... Oh, don’t take offence, gentlemen ! For heaven’s sake don’t take offence!’ the prince exclaimed in alarm, once again observing the manifestation of Burdovsky’s insulted embarrassment, and the excitement and protest of his friends. ‘It cannot refer to you personally, if I say that I considered the case one of fraud! I mean, I didn’t know any of you personally then, and did not know your names; I judged by Chebarov alone; I’m speaking generally, because ... if only you knew how dreadfully I’ve been deceived since I obtained my inheritance!’

‘Prince, you’re are dreadfully naive,’ Lebedev’s nephew observed mockingly.

‘And a prince and a millionaire, to boot! For all your possibly good and rather simple heart, you cannot, of course, avoid the general law,’ proclaimed Ippolit.

‘Perhaps, that may very well be, gentlemen,’ the prince hurried, ‘though I don’t know what general law you are talking about; but I will continue, only don’t take needless offence: I swear I’ve not the slightest wish to offend you. And really, what is this, gentlemen: one cannot say a single word sincerely, but you at once take offence! But for one thing I was dreadfully astonished that a ‘son of Pavlishchev’ existed, and existed in such a dreadful situation, as Chebarov explained to me. Pavlishchev is my benefactor and a friend of my father’s. (Oh, why did you write such an untruth about my father in your article, Mr Keller? There was no embezzlement of company funds and no abuse of subordinates - of that I am positively convinced, and how could your hand raise itself to write such a slander?) And what you wrote about Pavlishchev is quite intolerable: you call that most noble man a voluptuary, and light-minded, so boldly, so positively, as though you really were speaking the truth, and yet he was one of the most virtuous men in the world! He was even a remarkable scholar; he corresponded with many respected men of science and donated a lot of money towards learning and research. As for his heart, his good deeds, oh, of course, you were correct in writing that I was almost an idiot then and could not understand anything (though I nevertheless spoke Russian and understood it), but after all, I can appreciate all that I remember now ...’

‘If you please!’ squealed Ippolit, ‘isn’t this getting too sentimental ? We’re not children. You were going to come straight to the point, it’s getting on for ten o’clock, remember that.’

‘Certainly, certainly, gentlemen’ the prince agreed at once. ‘After my initial suspicions, I decided that I might be mistaken and th
at it was indeed possible that Pavlishchev had a son. But I was dreadfully shocked that this son would so readily, so publicly, that is, divulge the secret of his birth and, above all, disgrace his mother. Because even then Chebarov was threatening me with public opinion ...’

‘What stupidity!’ Lebedev’s nephew began to shout.

‘You have no right ... you have no right!’ exclaimed Burdovsky.

‘The son’s not answerable for the debauched action of his father, and the mother’s not to blame,’ Ippolit squealed, with vehemence.

‘All the more reason to be merciful to her then, it would appear ...’ the prince said timidly.

‘Prince, you are not only naive, but have possibly gone even further,’ Lebedev’s nephew smirked maliciously.

‘And what right did you have?’ Ippolit squealed in a most unnatural voice.

‘None, none!’ the prince interrupted hurriedly. ‘In that you are right, I admit, but it was involuntary, and I at once told myself then that my personal feelings ought not to have any influence on the matter, because if I admitted that I was obliged to satisfy Mr Burdovsky’s demands, in the name of my feelings for Pavlishchev, then I had to satisfy them no matter what, that is, whether I respected Mr Burdovsky or did not respect him. I only mentioned this, gentlemen, because it seemed to me unnatural that a son should so publicly disclose his mother’s secret ... In a word, it was this that mainly convinced me that Chebarov must be a scoundrel and had himself egged Mr Burdovsky on, by deception, to such fraud.’

‘But I say, this is intolerable!’ resounded from the direction of the visitors, some of whom had even leaped up from their chairs.

‘Gentlemen! But that is why I decided that the unfortunate Mr Burdovsky must be a simple man, a defenceless man, who fell easy prey to fraudsters and swindlers, so that I was all the more obliged to help him, as “Pavlishchev’s son” - in the first place, as a counter-thrust to Mr Chebarov, in the second place, with my devotion and friendship, in order to guide him, and in the third place, by arranging for him to be paid ten thousand roubles, in other words all the money that, according to my calculations, Pavlishchev could have spent on me ...’

‘What? Only ten thousand?’ cried Ippolit.

‘Well, Prince, you’re not very good at arithmetic - or perhaps you’re rather too good at it, though you present yourself as a simpleton!’ exclaimed Lebedev’s nephew.

‘I won’t accept ten thousand,’ said Burdovsky.

‘Antip! Accept it!’ the boxer prompted in a rapid and distinct whisper, leaning forwards over the back of Ippolit’s chair. ‘Accept it, and then later on we’ll see!’

‘N-now listen, Mr Myshkin,’ squealed Ippolit, ‘you must realize that we are not fools, not vulgar fools, as is probably the opinion of all your visitors and these ladies, who are sneering at us with such indignation
, and especially that gentleman of fashion (he pointed to Yevgeny Pavlovich) whom, I of course, don’t have the honour of knowing, but about whom, of course I seem to have heard a few things ...’

‘Come, come, gentlemen, you’ve once again failed to understand me!’ the prince addressed him in agitation. ‘In the first place, you, Mr Keller, estimated my fortune very inaccurately in your article: I received no millions: I have, perhaps, only an eighth or a tenth part of what you suppose me to have; in the second place, no tens of thousands were spent on me in Switzerland: Schneider received six hundred a year, and that only for the first three years; and Pavlishchev never went to Paris for pretty governesses; that’s another piece of slander. In my opinion, far less than ten thousand was spent on me, but I decided on a figure of ten thousand, and, you must admit that in repaying the debt I could not possibly offer Mr Burdovsky more than that, even if I were terribly fond of him, and would be unable to do so because of a sense of tact, precisely because I was repaying a debt and not sending him a hand-out. I don’t know why you don’t understand that, gentlemen! But I wanted to make compensation for all this later on, with my friendship and my active interest in the fate of the unfortunate Mr Burdovsky, who had obviously been deceived, because he could not, without deception, have agreed to such a base act, as, for example, today’s disclosure in Mr Keller’s article about his mother ... But really, gentlemen, why are you getting angry again? I mean, really, we shan’t ever be able to understand one another at all! After all, it turned out the way I predicted, didn’t it? I’m now convinced with my own eyes that my guess was correct,’ the flushed and excited prince tried to persuade them, anxious to calm the agitation and not noticing that he was merely making it greater.

‘What? What are you convinced of?’ they set about him, almost in a frenzy.

‘Oh, for pity’s sake, in the first place, I myself have had plenty of time to study Mr Burdovsky, I mean, I myself can see now what he is like ... He’s an innocent man, but one whom everyone deceives! A defenceless man ... and that’s why I must spare him, and in the second place, Gavrila Ardalionovich - to whom the matter was entrusted and from whom I haven’t had any news for a long time, as I was travelling for three days and was then ill for three days in St Petersburg - now suddenly, only an hour ago, at our first meeting, told me that he had seen through all of Chebarov’s intentions, had proof, and that Chebarov was exactly what I supposed him to be. I mean, I know, gentlemen, that many people consider me an idiot, and Chebarov, too, because of my reputation for easily parting with money, thought it would be very easy to deceive me, relying on my feelings for Pavlishchev. But the main thing - oh, hear me through, gentlemen, hear me through! - the main thing is that it now suddenly turns out that Mr Burdovsky is not Pavlishchev’s son at all! Gavrila Ardalionovich has just told me that and assures me he has obtained positive proof. Well, what
do you make of that, I mean, it’s impossible to believe after all the fuss there’s been! And listen: the proof is positive! I still don’t believe it, don’t believe it myself, I assure you; I still have doubts, because Gavrila Ardalionovich has not managed to tell me all the details, but that Chebarov is a scoundrel, of that there can now be no doubt! He has swindled the unfortunate Mr Burdovsky and all of you, gentlemen, who have come so nobly to support your friend (as he is obviously in need of support, I understand that, of course!), he has swindled you all and mixed you all up in a case of fraud, because that in essence is what it is, trickery and fraud!’