Chapter 19 sixteen

"It is true," announced Ptitsyn at last, folding the letter and handing it to the prince, "that by virtue of your aunt's indisputable will, you will have without trouble a very large sum of money. " "Impossible!" shouted the general as if firing a gun. Everyone opened their mouths wide again. Ptitsyn explained (mainly to Ivan Fyodorovich) that the prince had an aunt whom he had never met himself, who had died five months before, and that the aunt was the sister of the prince's mother, a third-year-old from Moscow. Waiting for the daughter of the merchant Papshin, Papshin died early, in poverty and bankruptcy.But this Papsin had an elder brother who died not long ago, and he was a well-known wealthy businessman.He had only two sons, but they died about a year ago, almost in the same month.He suffered a great blow because of this, and after a while, the old man also fell ill and died.Widowed in his early years, he had no heirs except the duke's aunt and his own niece.But the duke's aunt was also very poor, so poor that she had to live with others.When the inheritance was received, the aunt was also dying of edema, but she immediately entrusted Salazkin to find out the whereabouts of the Duke and made a will.It seemed that neither the duke nor the doctor (that is, the doctor who lived in his house when the duke was in Switzerland) did not want to wait for an official notice or conduct an investigation before taking action, so the duke took Sa This letter from Razkin decided to come in person...

"The only thing I want to tell you," said Ptitsyn at last to the prince, "is that all this must be indisputable and absolutely true, since Sarazkin has written to tell you that your case is indisputable." Controversial and legal, then you can take everything Sarazkin said as the ocean of cash in your pocket. Congratulations, duke! Maybe you are about to get a million and a half million, maybe more Some. Papshin is a very rich merchant." "Great, the last Myshkin prince of the family!" Fedsenko shouted loudly. "Hurrah!" cried Lebedev in a hoarse, drunken voice.

"But I lent the poor little boy twenty-five rubles this morning, ha ha ha! It's so unpredictable, it can change at any time!" said the general, who was almost stunned. "Well, congratulations, congratulations! There!" he said, rising from his seat, and going up to the prince and embracing him.After him, others stood up and crowded around the Duke.Even the guests, who had retreated behind the curtains, appeared in the drawing-room with a babble of voices and exclamations, and it was even suggested that the champagne be brought quickly.Everyone squeezed over and over, very busy.For a moment, Nastasya Filippovna was almost forgotten, she was the host of the party tonight.But gradually, almost suddenly, it occurred to everyone that the duke had just proposed to her.This made the thing three times more crazy and extraordinary than before.Totsky, who was very surprised, shrugged his shoulders from time to time. He was almost the only one who still sat there, and the rest of the crowd crowded around the table in a mess.It was afterwards concluded that it was from that moment that Nastasya Filippovna went mad.She continued to sit there, looking at everyone with a strange and surprised look, as if she didn't understand what happened, and was thinking hard.After looking at everyone for a while, she suddenly turned her head to look at the Duke, her brows were furrowed, and she looked at him carefully, but this expression was fleeting. Maybe she suddenly felt that all this was just a joke, but the Duke His expression immediately dispelled her doubts.She fell into deep thought, and then smiled slightly, as if she herself didn't understand what she was laughing at...

"So I've really become a princess!" she murmured to herself, as if mockingly, then looked up involuntarily at Darya Alexeyevna, and smiled. "This ended unexpectedly...I...didn't expect it to be like this...Everyone, why are you standing? Please sit down and congratulate the Duke and me! It seems that someone ordered champagne just now, Fei Dishchenko, order them to bring the wine. Katya, Pasha," she suddenly saw her maid at the door, "come here, I'm getting married, do you hear me? Marry the prince, he has a hundred and fifty One hundred thousand, he is Prince Myshkin, and he will marry me!"

"God bless you, dear, it's time to get married too, don't miss this opportunity!" cried Darya Alexeyevna, deeply moved by what had happened. "Sit down beside me, prince," continued Nastasya Filippovna, "and that's it, and here's the wine, congratulations, gentlemen!" "Hurrah!" many voices yelled in unison, and many people, including almost the whole party that Rogozhin had brought, crowded over to drink, but although they yelled, or were about to yell, many of them , no matter how peculiar the change of circumstances and circumstances, it is still felt that the scene of the play is changing.Others were embarrassed and waited in disbelief for what was to come.Many people whispered among themselves, saying that such a thing is so common that a man can marry any woman when he is a duke, even a wandering gypsy girl.Rogozhin stood watching, with a motionless, bewildered smile on his face.

"Duke, my dear, wake up!" the general passed by, pulled the duke's sleeve, and whispered in fear. Nastasya Filippovna burst out laughing at this sight. "No, General! I'm a princess now, do you hear—the prince won't let me be bullied! Congratulate me, too, Afanasy Ivanovitch, and I'm with you now." Your Madam is now on an equal footing. Having such a husband is of great benefit, what do you think? One and a half million plus the title of Duke, it is said that I have to be given the title of idiot. Is there anything better than this? ? Only now did I begin to live in real life! You are late, Rogozhin! Take your bag away, I am going to marry the prince, and I am richer than you now!"

But Rogozhin had figured out what was going on.There was indescribable pain on his face.He raised his hands and clapped lightly, and a long sigh burst out from his chest. "Give it to me!" he called to the Duke. There was laughter all around. "For you?" Darya Alexeyevna interjected, beaming. "Look, put the money on the table, you country bumpkin! The prince is here to marry her, and you are here to play tricks!" "I'll marry her too! Immediately, right now! Give her everything..." "Look, you must be kicked out by a drunk who has escaped from the tavern!" Darya Alexeyevna cried again angrily.

The laughter grew louder. "You hear, prince," Nastasya Filippovna told him, "that's how the peasant bargained for your fiancée." "He is drunk," said the prince, "and he loves you very much." "Your fiancée almost ran away with Rogozhin. Don't you feel ashamed in the future?" "You were too impulsive then, and you are very impulsive now, talking nonsense." "In the future people will tell you that your wife was Totsky's concubine, don't you feel ashamed?" "No, I don't find it shameful... You didn't live with Totsky out of your own free will."

"You'll never blame me for this?" "Never blame." "Hmph, be careful, you can't guarantee that you won't do this for the rest of your life!" "Nastasya Filippovna," said the prince in a low voice, which seemed to be full of pity, "I told you just now that I would be very honored if you agreed to marry me. It's not that I give you face. You are amused by my words, and I hear people around me laughing too. Maybe it's ridiculous for me to say this, and I am also ridiculous, but I always feel that what is an honor, I ...I still understand, and I believe I am telling the truth. You want to destroy yourself now, irreparably, because you will never forgive yourself for doing so: and you are perfectly innocent. It is absolutely impossible to say that your life has been completely ruined. What does it matter that Rogozhin came to you and Gavrila Ardalionovitch tried to deceive you? Do you always have to mention these things? I repeat to you that many people can’t do what you have done. As for your desire to run away with Rogozhin, it was an impulsive decision when you were sick. You are still here Sick, you'd better go to bed and rest. You'd rather be a washerwoman tomorrow than stay and fool around with Rogozhin. You're proud, Nastasya Filippovna, but maybe because You are so unfortunate that you think you are really guilty. You should be taken care of, Nastasya Filippovna, and I will take care of you. When I saw your picture this morning, it was like looking at you. It was as if I saw an acquaintance's face. It seemed to me that you were calling me... I... I will always respect you, Nastasya Filippovna," the prince ended abruptly. , as if waking up suddenly, his face flushed red, and he finally understood what kind of people he was speaking in front of.

Ptitsyn even felt that the prince's words had spoiled his hearing, so he lowered his head and looked at the ground.Totsky thought to himself: "An idiot knows that flattering is the easiest way to get other people's favor, what an instinct!" The Duke also noticed that from a corner, Ganya cast a shining gaze, as if he wanted to use That look burned the Duke to ashes. "What a fine fellow!" declared Darya Alexeyevna, greatly moved. "A well-educated, but hopeless man!" the general lowered his voice and whispered. Totsky picked up his top hat, was about to get up, and sneak away.He and the general glanced at each other and wanted to go out together.

"Thank you, Prince, no one has ever spoken to me like that," said Nastasya Filippovna. I begged. Did you hear that, Afanasy Ivanovitch? What do you think of what the prince said? It's a bit of an insult... Rogozhin! Wait, don't go away. I see you, too. I can't go. Maybe I'll go with you. Where do you want to take me?" "To Catherine's Palace," Lebedev announced from a corner, and Rogozhin just shivered, stared at everything around him, as if he couldn't believe his ears.He was completely dumbfounded, as if he had been slapped in the head with a terrible sap. "What's the matter with you, what's the matter with you, my dear! Don't think you're really sick: are you crazy?" cried Darya Alexeyevna, terrified. "Do you really think I'm going to destroy such a childlike person?" Nastasya Filippovna laughed and jumped up from the sofa. Nasi Ivanovich's tricks: He just likes young boys and girls who don't know the world! Come on, Rogozhin! Get your money ready, you want to marry me, it's nothing, but the money has to be paid. I Is it possible to marry you? Do you think that this bag of money can stay with you as long as you marry me? Don't think! I am a shameless woman! I was Totsky's concubine... Duke! You now Miss Aglaya Epanchin is to marry, not I, Nastasya Filippovna, or Fedsenko will stab you in the back. You are not afraid, I am, I'm afraid I'll hurt you, I'm afraid you will complain later! As for your claim that I married you because I gave you face, Totsky knows whether this is true or not. As for you, Ganetchka, you put Aglaya ·Miss Ye Panqin missed it, do you know the secret? If you don’t bargain with her, she will definitely marry you! You are all the same: either fooling around with illicit women, or with Qingqing Women in vain—there's only one choice! Otherwise, it's going to be messed up...Look at the General, with his mouth open..." "This is Sodom, Sodom!" The General shrugged and turned over and over again. say.He also stood up from the sofa.Everyone stood up again.Nastasya Filippovna was in a frenzy. "Could it be true!" said the Duke bitterly, wringing his fingers. "Do you think it's fake? I'm a shameless woman, it doesn't matter, but I may still be very proud! You just said that I am a perfect woman, and a perfect person should be ashamed of millions of people as soon as they are praised. The good name of princess and princess is trampled underfoot like dung, and goes to the slums! Well, then, how can I be your wife? Millions have indeed been thrown out the window! In your opinion, if I marry Ganetchka and your seventy-five thousand rubles, will I feel lucky for three years? Take the seventy-five thousand rubles back! , Afanasy Ivanovich (less than a hundred thousand, Rogozhin is richer than you!), as for Ganecka, I have an idea to please him, now, I want to go to the street Go around, I'm a woman who makes fun of the street! I've been in prison for ten years, and now things are turning! Rogozhin, how are you? Get ready, let's go!" "Let's go!" Rogozhin yelled, almost in a frenzy of joy. "Hey, guys... come... let's drink! Wow! . . . " "Get some more wine, I want to drink. Is there a band?" "There will be, there will be! Don't come near!" Rogozhin shouted frantically, seeing Darya Alexeyevna approaching Nastasya Filippovna. , "She's mine! Everything is mine! My queen! You're done!" Out of breath with joy, he kept circling around Nastasya Filippovna, angrily yelling at everyone: "Keep away!" living room.Some were drinking, others were yelling and laughing, all excited and free.Fedsenko was trying to join them.The General and Totsky took up their hats again and tried to slip away.Ganya also took up his hat, but he stood silently, still watching the live drama unfolding before him. "Don't come near!" Rogozhin was still yelling. "What are you yelling about!" Nastasya Filippovna laughed at him. "I'm still in my own house, the master of the house, and I can throw you out if I want. Didn't take your money, it's still there. Bring it here! Bring the whole bag! Is there a hundred thousand rubles in this bag? Phew, what a filth! What's the matter with you, Darya Alexeyevna? Do you really want me to destroy him? (She points to the prince.) He can't get married, he has to find a nurse himself. Look, the general can be his nurse ,—look, he's always following the duke! Watch out, duke, your fiancée took the money because she's a loose woman and you want to marry her! What are you crying about? You're in pain, aren't you? I think you should laugh," Nastasya Filippovna continued, but she herself had two bright tears on her cheeks. "Trust in time—everything will come to pass." In the past! I'd rather rein in the precipice now than later... Why are you all crying—look, Katya is crying too! What's the matter, Katya, dear? I've made arrangements, and I'll leave you a lot With Pasha, but goodbye now! You are an innocent girl, but I let you serve a dissolute woman... That's fine, duke, really, it's better this way, otherwise, in the future you You will look down on me, and we will not be happy! Don't swear, I don't believe it! And how stupid it would be to do so!... No, we might as well talk and break up, otherwise, I am a cute fantasy, and there will be no Good! Didn't I ever fantasize about marrying a man like you? You're right, I fantasized about it long ago, when I was living at his house in the country, when I was alone through those five desolate years During the years,—a person thinks and thinks, and often fantasizes and fantasizes, always imagining that he can find someone like you, who is kind, honest, nice, and a little silly like you. would suddenly come up to me and say: 'You are innocent, Nastasya Filippovna, I love you very much!' I have often imagined this way, and it would drive me mad... But it was this man who came here: he came to live for one or two months every year, made me suffer great humiliation, bullied me wantonly, seduced me, raped me, and then walked away——I have wanted to jump into the river countless times, but my nature is low , lack of courage. Well... but now... Rogozhin, are you ready?" "Get ready! Don't come near!" "Ready!" Several voices agreed in unison. "Several tricycles are waiting outside, ones with bells!" Nastasya Filippovna held out both hands and seized the bag of money. "Ganka, I have an idea: I want to make it up to you, because why should you lose everything and end up in vain? Rogozhin, give him three rubles and he will climb to Vasily Island?" "That's right!" "Well, then listen, Ganya, I want to see your soul for the last time. You've tortured me for three whole months and now it's my turn. Do you see this bag of money? There's a hundred thousand in it Ruble! I'll throw it into the fireplace, into the fire, and in front of everyone, everyone will witness! As soon as the fire burns it all up, you can put your hand in the fireplace, but no gloves, bare hands, Roll up your sleeves and pull the paper bag out of the fire! Just pull it out, and it's yours, and the hundred thousand rubles are yours! You'll burn your fingers a little at most—think about it, it's a hundred thousand rubles! It's easy to pull it out! I want to admire your soul and see how you reach into the fire to get my money. As everyone can testify, this bag of money is all yours! If you don't take it, let it It burns up: nobody moves. Get out of the way! Get out of the way! My money! It's money I earned from sleeping with Rogozhin. Is it my money, Rogozhin?" "Your money, baby! Your money, Queen!" "Well, everyone, get out of the way, and I can do whatever I want! Don't get in the way! Fedsenko, turn up the fire!" "Nastasya Filippovna, I can't do that!" replied Fedsenko, bewildered. "Ah — ah!" cried Nastasya Filippovna, and taking up the tongs for the fireplace, she split two smoldering logs, and as soon as the flames arose threw the bag of money into the fire. There were shouts from all around, and many people even crossed themselves. "Crazy, just crazy!" The people around shouted. "Should we...shall we... tie her up?" the general whispered to Ptitsyn, "or send for...that's madness, isn't it madness? Isn't it madness? " "No—no, maybe it's not quite madness," Ptitsyn whispered, pale and trembling, but he couldn't take his eyes off the already faintly burning paper package. "Crazy? Isn't he crazy?" The general turned around and entangled Totsky again. "I told you that she was a very charming woman," muttered Afanasy Ivanovitch, who was also somewhat pale. "But, you know, it's a hundred thousand rubles! . . . " "Lord, Lord!..." Shouts came from all around.Everyone crowded around the fireplace, everyone crowded over to look, everyone sighed...some even jumped on chairs and looked in over other people's heads.Darya Alexeyevna ran off into another room and whispered something to Katya and Pasha in terror.And the big German beauty just ran away. "My mother! My princess! My omnipotent queen!" cried Lebedev, crawling on his knees in front of Nastasya Filippovna, stretching out his arms Fireplace, "A hundred thousand! A hundred thousand! I saw it on my bread! My mother! My gracious queen! Let me go into the hearth: I'll go all in I'm going to put my whole gray head in the fire!... My wife is sick and can't move, I have thirteen children--all alone, I just buried my late father last week, and he He died of starvation, Nastasya Filippovna!" he cried and howled, and was about to burrow into the fireplace. "Get out of the way!" cried Nastasya Filippovna, pushing him away, "get out of the way, everyone! Ganya, why are you sitting still! Don't be ashamed! Hold out your hand! You're lucky!" But Ganya had been stimulated too much this day and this evening, and was unprepared for this final, unexpected test.The crowd split in two, a path opened before them both, and he and Nastasya Filippovna met their eyes and stood facing each other, only three steps away from her.She was close to the fireplace, watching him intently, with fiery eyes, fixed.Ganya, in a tuxedo, with a top hat and gloves in his hands, stood silently before her, without saying a word, with his arms folded, looking into the fire.His face was as pale as a handkerchief, and a wild smile played across his face.True, he couldn't take his eyes away from the paper package that had begun to burn faintly, but something new seemed to arise and break into his heart.As if sworn to endure the torture, he did not move a step.After a while, everyone understood that he would never go to get that paper bag, he would not go. "Oh, it's going to burn up, come tomorrow, you'll be called a fool," Nastasya Filippovna yelled at him, "you're going to hang yourself, I'm not kidding!" The fire flickered at first between the two dying logs, and was almost dead when the paper bag fell on the fire and pinned it down.But there was also a small blue flame that was jumping up and down under one corner of the lower piece of wood.Finally, a slender flame ignited the paper package, and after the fire caught the paper package, it climbed up along the edge of the paper, and suddenly, the whole paper package burned in the fireplace, and bright flames rose rapidly.Everyone exclaimed. "My mother!" Lebedev, still wailing loudly, was about to rush forward again, but Rogozhin pulled him back and pushed him aside. As for Rogozhin himself, he was dumbfounded.He gazed at Nastasya Filippovna intently, he was intoxicated, he was in the seventh heaven. "This is what a queen looks like!" he kept tossing and turning to those around him, "this is what we should look like!" This trick, huh?" The Duke watched all this sadly and silently. "Just give me a thousand rubles and I'll take it out with my teeth!" Fedsenko suggested. "Use my teeth, I can do it too!" Mr. Fist was so frustrated and desperate, he gritted his teeth behind everyone's back: "Damn it! It's on fire, it's going to burn up!" He yelled when he saw the flames. "It's on, it's on!" everyone shouted in unison, and almost all of them rushed to the fireplace. "Ganya, don't be prudish, let me remind you one last time!" "Hand out your hand!" cried Fedsenko, rushing almost madly to Ganya and tugging at his sleeve. "Hand out your hand, Cowhide! It'll burn! Oh, damn—damn— -s things!" Ganya pushed Fedsenko away vigorously, turned and walked towards the door, but before he could take two steps, he swayed and fell to the ground with a splash. "I fainted!" the people around shouted. "My mother, it will burn!" Lebedev wailed. "It will burn up in vain!" yelled from all directions. "Katya, Pasha, bring him some water and some alcohol!" cried Nastasya Filippovna, and taking up the fire-torches, she put the wallet away. come out. The paper wrapping the outside was almost completely burnt and was still burning faintly, but it could be seen at a glance that the inside was not yet burnt.The bag was wrapped in three layers of newspaper, and the money inside was intact.Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "Except for the slight damage of a mere thousand, the rest are intact." Lebedev announced with a smile on his face. "It's all his! The bag is all his! Do you hear me, gentlemen!" announced Nastasya Filippovna, putting the bag beside Ganya, "and at last he didn't take it , withstood the test! It shows that his self-esteem outweighed his greed. Never mind, he will wake up! Otherwise, he may kill... Look, he is about to wake up. General, Ivan Petrovich , Katya, Pasha, Rogozhin, do you hear? This bag of money belongs to him, to Ganya. This money belongs to him completely, it's a reward for him... As for that, give it to him anyway Go! Please tell him that this bag of money is here, next to him... Rogozhin, go! Good-bye, prince, for the first time I see a real man! Good-bye, Afanasy Ivanovic, merci!" Rogozhin's whole party, clamoring and yelling, followed Rogozhin and Nastasya Filippovna in a tumultuous manner, passing through the rooms to the door.In the hall, the maid handed her the fur coat, and Marfa the cook ran out of the kitchen.Nastasya Filippovna kissed them all good-bye. "Madam, are you leaving us forever? Where are you going? And it's your birthday, on a day like this!" asked the two maids, weeping bitterly, kissing her hand. "I'm going to the streets, Katya, don't you hear, that's where I should be, or be a washerwoman! I've had enough of Afanasy Ivanovitch! Please! You pay my respects to him, if there is anything I'm sorry for, please bear with me..." The prince ran quickly to the door, just as they were getting into four triches with bells.The general overtook him on the stairs. "Come, Prince, calm down!" he said, taking him by the arm. "Forget it! You've seen it all, what a woman she is! I say this to you as a father..." The prince looked at him, but without saying a word, he broke free from his arms and ran quickly downstairs. When the general saw the prince rushing to the gate, the carriages had just galloped away. The prince stopped the first taxi he encountered and shouted to the driver: "Go to the Catherine Palace, and follow the carriage ahead. Three sets of carriages." Then, the general's light carriage, which was driven by a large gray horse, approached and pulled the general home.The general held new hopes and new plans along the way, and still had the string of pearls in his arms, the general still couldn't forget to take it away.Two or three times in the midst of his plans the charming image of Nastasya Filippovna flashed before his eyes, and the general sighed: "What a pity! What a pity! A depraved woman! A mad woman! . Two of Nastasya Filippovna's guests decided to walk a little way.As they walked, they talked, and also said some such kind of somewhat persuasive farewell words to each other: "I'm talking about Afanasy Ivanovich, and I've heard that the Japanese often do that," said Ivan Petrovich Ptitsyn. He said, 'You insulted me, so I cut my stomach in front of you', when he said this, he really cut his stomach in front of the person who insulted him, as if he really took revenge by doing so, And perhaps a great satisfaction from it. The world is full of wonders, Afanasy Ivanovitch!" "Do you think that what happened just now is of the same kind?" replied Afanasy Ivanovitch with a smile on his face, "! Then again, you were very witty... and you made a call. A good analogy. But you have seen, dearest Ivan Petrovich, that I have done everything I can. I cannot do what I cannot do, and you must feel the same way? But then again, you have to admit that this woman has some fundamental advantages...some very outstanding characteristics. I even wanted to give her a shout just now, if I could allow myself to do so in the chaos just now If she did, she made all kinds of accusations against me, but she herself was my best defense against them. Oh, who can not be fascinated by this woman, sometimes so fascinated that she forgets reason and everything! You see, this country bumpkin Rogozhin found him a hundred thousand rubles! Even though what happened just now was fleeting, romantic, and unrefined, it was colorful, impressive, and original. Chic. You must admit it. God, what a woman of such character and beauty can do! But no matter how hard we try, no matter how learned she is, — everything is ruined. Lah! An unpolished diamond—I've said that many times..." At this, Afanasy Ivanovich sighed.