The idiot / Идиот

This next arrival was a tall red-faced man of about fifty-five, with greyish hair and whiskers, and large eyes which stood out of their sockets. His appearance would have been distinguished had it not been that he gave the idea of being rather dirty. He was dressed in an old coat, and he smelled of vodka when he came near. His walk was effective, and he clearly did his best to appear dignified, and to impress people by his manner.

This gentleman now approached the prince slowly, and with a most courteous smile; silently took his hand and held it in his own, as he examined the prince’s features as though searching for familiar traits therein.

“’tis he, �tis he!” he said at last, quietly, but with much solemnity. “As though he were alive once more. I heard the familiar name-the dear familiar name – and, oh. I how it reminded me of the irrevocable past – Prince Muishkin, I believe ?”

“Exactly so.”

“General Ivolgin – retired and unfortunate. May I ask your Christian and generic names?”

“Lef Nicolaievitch.

“So, so – the son of my old, I may say my childhood’s friend, Nicolai Petrovitch.”

“My father’s name was Nicolai Lvovitch.”

“Lvovitch,” repeated the general without the slightest haste, and with perfect confidence, just as though he had not committed himself the least in the world, but merely made a little slip of the tongue. He sat down, and taking the prince’s hand, drew him to a seat next to himself.

“I carried you in my arms as a baby,” he observed.

“Really?” asked the prince. “Why, it’s twenty years since my father died.”

“Yes, yes – twenty years and three months. We were educated together; I went straight into the army, and he —”

“My father went into the army, too. He was a sub-lieutenant in the Vasiliefsky regiment.”

“No, sir – in the Bielomirsky; he changed into the latter shortly before his death. I was at his bedside when he died, and gave him my blessing for eternity.

“She died a few months later, from a cold,” said the prince.

“Oh, not cold – believe an old man – not from a cold, but from grief for her prince. Oh – your mother, your mother!

heigh-ho! Youth – youth! Your father and I – old friends as we were – nearly murdered each other for her sake.”

The prince began to be a little incredulous.