Chapter 15 twelve

Konya led the Duke not far away, near Fansha Street, and entered a coffee shop with a billiard room on the ground floor facing the street.In the right-hand corner of the store was a separate booth where Ardalion Alexandrovitch sat.Looked like a regular who frequents the place.There was a bottle of wine on the small table in front of him, and indeed he was holding an Ind pendance Belge in his hand.He is waiting for the Duke.As soon as he saw the prince coming in, he put the newspaper aside, and began to explain enthusiastically and long-windedly, but the prince could hardly understand a word of his explanation, because the general was almost drunk.

"I don't have ten rubles," interrupted the prince, "just a twenty-five ruble note, change it and give me fifteen rubles in change, because I have nothing else. arts." "Oh, there is no doubt about it. Believe me, it will be soon..." "Besides, General, I have a request. Have you never been to Nastasya Filippovna's?" "Me? I've never been there? You're asking me about it? Several times, my dear, several times!" cried the General, with a sneer and an air of self-satisfaction, "but at last I voluntarily Broken, because I did not want to encourage this unseemly union. You saw, you were witnesses this morning: I have done all that a father can do,—but then A loving and generous father, and now another kind of father will appear on the stage. We will see at that time, and we will wait and see: Is it a veteran soldier with outstanding military exploits who smashed a conspiracy, or a shameless into a very noble family."

"I have something to ask. I wonder if you can introduce me as a friend to see Nastasya Filippovna tonight? I must go today. I have something to do, but I don't want it at all." I know how to get in. Just now, I was introduced to her, but I was not invited by her: there was a party there today, and invitations were sent out. However, I am going to skip certain etiquette, even if they make fun of me, as long as I can figure out a way to get in. .” "Your words, my young friend, are exactly and exactly on my mind," exclaimed the general cheerfully. "I have not called you here to accommodate this little change!" he went on, taking the money and putting it in Pocket, "I have called you, and I invite you to accompany me to Nastasya Filippovna's house, or rather, to attack Nastasya Filippovna! Ivolkin The general and Prince Myshkin! Show her how impressive this scene is! And I, in the name of congratulating her on her birthday, finally declare my opinion—indirectly, not directly, but it is as direct as it is. At that time, let Ganya decide: listen to your father, listen to military exploits and... you can say... wait, wait, or listen to... But, resign yourself to fate! Your idea is very good. We leave at nine, and there is still time."

"Where does she live?" "It's far from here: near the Grand Theater, Metovtsova's apartment, almost on the square, on the second floor... Even though it's her birthday, people will definitely not come too much, and leave early..." It was already dark.The duke was still sitting there, waiting for the general, listening to his talk.The general told many anecdotes, too many to count, but he never finished any of them.When the duke came, he asked for another bottle of wine, and drank it for an hour before finishing it, then asked for another bottle, and finished it again.It can be considered that while drinking these two bottles of wine, the general has already told the whole story of his life experience.At last the Duke got up and said he could not wait any longer.After the general drank the remaining wine at the bottom of the bottle, he also stood up and staggered out of the room.The duke was greatly disappointed.He really didn't understand how he could trust someone so stupidly.As a matter of fact, he had never trusted him, he was only counting on the general to try to get in, to see Nastasya Filippovna, even if there was a disturbance, but not at all. Hope to cause too much trouble: the general is drunk, mustering his tongue like a reed, talking endlessly, and even crying.He babbled that everything was ruined by the bad behavior of all members of his family, and that it was time for them to turn their backs.They finally reached Fansha Street.It was still the same cold and warm weather, the desolate, warm, and humid wind howled on the street, and the carriages pattered on the muddy ground.A group of strong or exhausted horses galloped on the street, their hooves clattering loudly on the gravel road.Groups of drenched pedestrians wander the sidewalks sullenly, and some drunks are often encountered among them.

"Have you seen the brightly lit second floor?" said the general, "all my colleagues live here. Among them, I have served the longest and suffered the most, but now I am walking hard. To the Bolshoi, to the house of a suspicious woman! I have thirteen bullets in my chest... Don't you believe it? Pirogov sent a telegram to Paris just because of me, and temporarily left the besieged Sevasto Bohr, the imperial physician Naraton of Paris traveled around for science, managed to get a free pass, and made a special trip to the besieged Sevastopol to check my health. Even the top leaders knew about it: 'Ah , this is that Ivolkin with thirteen bullets! . . . 'That's what I said! Prince, have you seen this house? On the second floor of this house lives one of my An old friend—General Sokolovich, he has a large family, all of them are noble and aboveboard. This is one, there are three more on Nevsky Prospekt, and two more on Ocean Street—this is my present The whole range of acquaintances, that is to say, they are my personal friends. Nina Alexandrovna has long succumbed to the environment. Only I am still..., so to speak, continue to be in the educated circle of my former colleagues and subordinates. I was recuperating in circles, and these people still respect me to this day. This General Sokolovich (but I haven't been to his house for a long time, and I haven't seen Anna Feodorovna)... you You know, my dear duke, that a man can't help breaking off his visits to others when he himself is not receiving them. But...

"...You don't seem to believe it... Then again, why can't I introduce my best friend and acquaintance of the chief executive, and lead him in to get to know this respectable and lovely family? General Ivolkin And Prince Myshkin! You will see a very wonderful girl, and not one, but two, three, who are the flowers of the capital, the flowers of the high society: beautiful, educated, and very personable ... They care about women's issues, and they are good at poetry and prose. All of these add up to the embodiment of happiness with both talent and appearance, and versatile talents. This does not count the dowry of at least 80,000 rubles in cash each Money can never be too much for women's and social problems... In short, I will, I will, and I will definitely introduce you to them. General Ivolkin and Prince Myshkin!"

"Immediately? Right now? But you forgot..." the prince was about to speak. "I've forgotten nothing, I've forgotten nothing, let's go! Up here, up this magnificent staircase. It's strange that there's no gatekeeper, but... today is a holiday, and even the gatekeeper has left. They haven't turned the drunk out yet. This Sokolovich is what he is today, and all his riches, to me, to me, and to no one else, but... look, we Now it's here." The prince no longer objected to the visit, so he followed him obediently so as not to offend him, but he had every hope that this General Sokolovich and his whole family would slowly disappear like a mirage. To be nothing, to become something that does not exist at all, so they can go downstairs and go back outside with peace of mind.But to his horror and to his great disappointment, the general led him up the stairs.It's as if there are really friends he knows here, and some details about his life and the location of his home are interspersed from time to time, and they are full of mathematical precision.At last they climbed up to the second floor and stopped before the door of a rich apartment on the right. The general reached for the bell—seeing the situation, the prince made up his mind to run away, but a strange circumstance stopped him for a minute. .

"You've come to the wrong door, General," he said. "The door says Kulakov, and you're looking for Sokolovich." "Kulakov...Kulakov doesn't explain anything. This is Sokolovich's house, that's why I rang for Sokolovich. It doesn't matter if it says Kulakov... Look, no The door is open." Sure enough, the door opened.The servant looked out and said, "The master is not at home, sir." "What a pity, what a pity, what a misfortune," Ardalion Alexandrovitch repeated several times with great regret, "my dear, when the master comes back, please tell me about Ivolkin The General and Prince Myshkin have come to pay a special visit. I am very, very sorry that we have not met during the visit..."

At this moment another face peered out of the open door from the room, and it appeared to be a housekeeper, possibly even a governess, a lady of about forty, dressed in dark clothing.When she heard the names of General Ivolkin and Prince Myshkin, she approached them curiously and mistrustfully. "Maria Alexandrovna is not at home," she said, giving the general a special look. "Going to see grandmother with Miss Alexandra Mikhaylovna." "Has Alexandra Mikhailovna even gone with Madame? Oh, God, what a misfortune! Just think, Madame, I am always so unlucky! I beg you to convey my regards to Madame, and Please pass on to Alexandra Mikhailovna, ask her to think... In short, please pass on my heartfelt wishes to her, that her prayers to herself will be fulfilled when she listens to the Chopin Ballade on Thursday evening , the lady will remember... Please convey my best wishes! General Ivolkin and Prince Myshkin!"

"I won't forget, my dear," said the lady, a little convinced, and bowed him farewell. As they went downstairs, the general continued to express his regret, with undiminished enthusiasm, that they had not been able to meet their masters, and that the duke had lost a wonderful opportunity of acquaintance with such a respectable and lovely family. "Do you know, my dear, that I have something of a poet, have you not noticed that? But ... then again, it seems that we were not in the right place just now," he said suddenly, quite unexpectedly. , "Now that I think about it, the Sokolovichs live in another building, and even, it seems, live in Moscow now. Yes, I was a bit mistaken, but ... that's all right."

"I just want to know," said the duke dejectedly, "whether I shouldn't depend on you at all, and just let me go alone?" "Don't count on me anymore? You go alone? But where does this begin? For me, this is a matter of great importance, and the fate of my family depends in many ways on its success or failure. But , my young friend, you don't know me Ivolkin so well. Whoever mentions 'Ivolgin' is like saying 'steady as a mountain': you can refer to me Ivolgin like a mountain .When I first started in the cavalry company, it was said that relying on Ivolkin is like relying on the mountains. I just wanted to drop in on a family. Only there can I rest..." "You want to go home?" "No! I want to... go and see one of my former subordinates... even a friend... Captain Terentyev's widow, Mrs. Terentyeva. Here, at the lady's house, I am refreshed and can bring all the troubles of my life and family here...Because I have a great moral burden on my shoulders today, so I..." "I think I've alarmed you," murmured the prince, "and I've done a very stupid thing. And now you... goodbye!" "But I can't, I can't let you go, my young friend!" said the general anxiously, "she is a widow, the mother of children, and the sound she plays in her heart resonates in my whole body. Visiting her—five minutes only, I don't need to be polite in this family's house, I'll almost live here. I'll wash my face, make up a little, and then we'll hire a carriage and go straight to the Grand Theater. Believe me, today I've wanted you all evening... This is the building, we've arrived... Ah, Kolya, are you here too? What, is Marfa Borisovna at home? Or have you just arrived yourself? " "Oh, no," replied Kolya, who happened to meet them both at the gate of the building, "I was here long ago, with Hippolyte, who was much sicker and lay down this morning." I'm going downstairs to the shop to buy a deck of cards. Marfa Borisovna is waiting for you. But, father, what are you doing!..." Kolya watched the general's gait and posture Finally, he said, "Alright. Let's go up and have a look first." Ever since he had met Kolya, the prince had thought that he might as well go with the general to Marfa Borisovna's house first, but only for a while.The prince meant to ask Kolya for help, and as for the general, he was determined to get rid of him, and he couldn't forgive himself for counting on him.They walked for a long time before reaching the fourth floor, and they took the back stairs. "You want them to know the prince?" Kolya asked as they went upstairs. "Yes, dear boy, I want to make them acquainted, General Ivolkin and Prince Myshkin, but what... what about Marfa Borisovna..." "I said Dad, you better not go! She will eat you! You haven't shown up for three days, she's waiting for the money. Why did you promise to give her money? You always do this! Now let's see how you get away Bar." On the fourth floor, they stopped before a low door.The general, looking a little timid, pushed the duke ahead. "I'll stay here," he muttered, "I'm going to surprise her..." Kolya went in first.A lady with heavy make-up, wearing sandals and a short padded jacket, her hair braided into two small braids, about forty, poked her head out of the door, and the general's joy was unexpectedly shattered.As soon as the lady saw him, she immediately shouted: "So it's him, this vile and sinister villain, I've been waiting for him to come!" "Let's go in, it's all right," murmured the general to the prince, trying to laugh naively at the predicament. But, it's not nothing.No sooner had they entered the house, through the dark and low front room, and into the narrow sitting-room, where were half a dozen wicker chairs and two small card tables, that the hostess immediately In a weeping, accustomed voice, he continued: "You don't feel ashamed, you don't feel ashamed, you barbarian, the tyrant of our family, you are both savage and fierce! You have scoured me to the bone, and you are not satisfied! How long will I tolerate you? Well, you shameless bastard!" "Marfa Borisovna, Marfa Borisovna! This is . muttered. "Do you believe it," said the captain's wife suddenly to the prince, "do you believe that this shameless bastard will not spare even us orphans and widows! Sold out and there's nothing left. What's the use of me having your IOU, you cunning and heartless thing, tell me, you cunning liar, answer me, you black-hearted What do I take, what do I take to feed my lonely children? Now, he's lying down, drunk... What on earth have I offended God, you vile, unreasonable liar, answer ah?" But the general didn't bother to answer. "Marfa Borisovna, here's twenty-five rubles . That's it. . . but now . Lenochka was a little girl of eight, and she ran at once to fetch pillows, which she laid on a hard and worn patent-leather sofa.The general sat down on the sofa, and had much to say, but the moment his body touched the sofa, he fell on his side, turned to face the wall, and cried out like a man with an open heart and a clear conscience. Sleep soundly.Marfa Borisovna politely and sadly asked the prince to sit down in a chair by the card table, sat down opposite him, put her right cheek on her hand, and began to look at the prince, sighing silently.Three children, two girls and a boy, of whom Lenochka was the eldest, also went up to the table, and all three put their hands on the table, and all three began to look intently at the prince.Suddenly Kolya came out from another room. "I am very glad to meet you here, Kolya," the prince said to him. "Can you do me a favor? I must go and see Nastasya Filippovna. I just asked Ardalion Alexandrovich helped, but he fell asleep. Take me there, because I don't know the streets, and I don't know the way. But I do have the address: near the Bolshoi Theater, Metovtso doll apartment." "Nastasya Filippovna? ​​She never lived near the Bolshoi, and my father never went to Nastasya Filippovna's, if you want to know. That's strange. The thing is, you expect him to do something for you. She lives near Vladimir Street, near Wudaokou, and it's much closer from here. Are you going now? It's half past nine. Well, I take you there." The prince and Kolya went out at once.It's a pity that the Duke has no money to hire a carriage, so he can only walk. "I wanted to introduce you to Hippolyte," said Kolya, "he's the eldest son of the captain's wife in the padded jacket, and he lives in another room: he's not feeling well, he's been lying down all day today. But he's a queer man, very self-conscious. I think he'd be ashamed to see you, because you're coming at this hour... I'm not as embarrassed as he is, because my father is on my side and his It is the mother, after all, there is a difference in this matter, because there is nothing shameful for men to do such things. However, it is difficult to say which is more important for men and women in this situation, which is right and which is wrong, and this may be prejudice. Hippolyte is A very remarkable young man, but a slave to certain prejudices." "You say he has consumption?" "Yes, it seems that it is better to die early. If I were him, I would definitely hope to die. He is reluctant to part with his younger siblings, they are still young. If possible, if I have money, I will definitely rent another house with him. Break up with our family. This is our fantasy. Tell you, I told him about you just now, and he was very angry, saying that someone got slapped in the face, and let it go lightly, instead of calling for a duel If so, he must be a bastard. However, he has a very violent temper, and I don't bother to argue with him. That's all, so you, Nastasya Filippovna, invited me immediately, Would you please go to her house?" "The problem is that she didn't invite me." "Then how do you get there?" cried Kolya, even standing still on the sidewalk, "and... in such clothes, and invitations were sent out, and guests were invited to a party!" "I really don't know how I can get in. Let me in, it's fine, if you don't let me in, you can only pull it down. As for the clothes, what can I do now?" "Do you need her? Or do you just want 'high society' to pour passer le temps?" "No, I actually... In other words, I went there on business... It's hard for me to explain this clearly, but..." "Well, what's your business, that's all you need to do. I think it's more important that you don't go there just to go to a party and get into a rich circle of flamboyants, generals, and usurers. If it's So, I'm sorry, prince, I'm going to laugh at you and despise you. There are very few decent people out there, not even anyone worthy of your real respect. It's tempting to despise them, but they demand respect from others. Varya is The first to look down on them. Have you noticed, prince, that nowadays everyone is an adventurer! Especially in Russia, in our dear Fatherland. How all this came about—I do not understand. It seems that the basis It seems to be solid, but what is it now? Everyone says it, and it is written everywhere. Exposure is commonplace, everyone in our country is. Parents are the first to back down, and they themselves are ashamed to talk about the morals of the past. Look, in Moscow , there was a father who persuaded his son that as long as he could get the money, he could do whatever he could. It was all in the newspapers. Look at my general. Oh, what has he done. But then again, I think, The General is a decent man. That's true! But he's always fond of fooling around and drinking. That's true! I even feel sorry for him, but I dare not say, because everyone laughs at me, but really, I blame him .. so what about those smart people? All usurers, without exception! Hippolyte also defended the usurers, saying that this is a necessity, an economic shock, a rising and falling tide, God knows what kind of nonsense this is It annoys me so much, but he's very angry, you know, his mother, the captain's wife, takes the money from the general and relents it to him at the donkey's rolling interest. , what a disgrace! Do you know, mother, that is my mother, Nina Alexandrovna, the general's wife, who used to help Ippolit, sending him money, clothes, everything, and even through Ippoli Specially for those children, because they are alone and have no one to look after them. So does Varya." "Look, you say that there are no honest men and strong men in our country, and everyone lends money at usury. Look, now there are strong men, and your mother and Varya are strong men. Isn't it a kind of morality to help others under such circumstances? A show of strength?" "Varika did it out of pride, to show off, to show that she was not behind her mother. But it was true that what she did... let me respect. Yes, I respect this behavior and think it is the right thing to do Even Hippolyte felt that it was right, and his heart was almost hardened. He laughed at first, saying that mother's behavior was the next thing to do. But now, sometimes, he also felt that it was right. ! Did you just call it strength? I will remember that. Ganya doesn’t know, but if he knew, he would call it pampering.” "Don't Ganya know? It seems that Ganya doesn't know many things." The Duke blurted out thoughtfully. "Listen, Prince, I like you very much. I will never forget what happened to you this afternoon." "I like you very much too, Kolya." "I said, how do you plan to live here? I will find a job soon, and I can earn some money. Let us live together, me, you and Hippolyte, and we will rent a room for the three of us." Together, let the general visit us often." "I'd love to. But we, on the other hand, we'll talk about it later. I'm so... confused. What? Arrived? Just this apartment... What a grand gate! And the porter. Oh, Corley Ya, I don't know how this will end." The Duke stood at the door in a state of dismay. "Tell me exactly what you want to-morrow! Be bold, don't be afraid. God bless you with success, for in everything your beliefs are mine! Good-bye. I'll go back and tell Hippolyte. Never No doubt will let you in, don't be afraid! She is a very special woman. Go up this staircase on the ground floor, and the porter will show you."