thatI shall not lose sight of him, again. Where he goes, I go. He’s quitegiven up visiting the captain’s widow, though sometimes he thinks sadlyof her, especially in the morning, when he’s putting on his boots. Idon’t know why it’s at that time. But he has no money, and it’s nouse his going to see her without. Has he borrowed any money from you,prince?”
“No, he has not.”
“Ah, he’s ashamed to! He _meant_ to ask you, I know, for he said so. Isuppose he thinks that as you gave him some once (you remember), youwould probably refuse if he asked you again.”
“Do you ever give him money?”
“Prince! Money! Why I would give that man not only my money, but myvery life, if he wanted it. Well, perhaps that’s exaggeration; not life,we’ll say, but some illness, a boil or a bad cough, or anything of thatsort, I would stand with pleasure, for his sake; for I consider him agreat man fallen--money, indeed!”
“H’m, then you _do_ give him money?”
“N-no, I have never given him money, and he knows well that I will nevergive him any; because I am anxious to keep him out of intemperateways. He is going to town with me now; for you must know I am off toPetersburg after Ferdishenko, while the scent is hot; I’m certain he isthere. I shall let the general go one way, while I go the other; we haveso arranged matters in order to pop out upon Ferdishenko, you see, fromdifferent sides. But I am going to follow that naughty old general andcatch him, I know where, at a certain widow’s house; for I think it willbe a good lesson, to put him to shame by catching him with the widow.”
“Oh, Lebedeff, don’t, don’t make any scandal about it!” said the prince,much agitated, and speaking in a low voice.
“Not for the world, not for the world! I merely wish to make him ashamedof himself. Oh, prince, great though this misfortune be to myself, Icannot help thinking of his morals! I have a great favour to ask of you,esteemed prince; I confess that it is the chief object of my visit. Youknow the Ivolgins, you have even lived in their house; so if you wouldlend me your help, honoured prince, in the general’s own interest andfor his good.”
Lebedeff clasped his hands in supplication.
“What help do you want from me? You may be certain that I am mostanxious to understand you, Lebedeff.”
“I felt sure of that, or I should not have come to you. We might manageit with the help of Nina Alexandrovna, so that he might be closelywatched in his own house. Unfortunately I am not on terms...otherwise... but Nicolai Ardalionovitch, who adores you with all hisyouthful soul, might help, too.”
“No, no! Heaven forbid that we should bring Nina Alexandrovna into thisbusiness! Or Colia, either. But perhaps I have not yet quite understoodyou, Lebedeff?”
Lebedeff made an impatient movement.
“But there is nothing to understand! Sympathy and tenderness, thatis all--that is all our poor invalid requires! You will permit me toconsider him an invalid?”
“Yes, it shows delicacy and intelligence on your part.”
“I will explain my idea by a practical example, to make it clearer. Youknow the sort of man he is. At present his only failing is that he iscrazy about that captain’s widow, and he cannot go to her withoutmoney, and I mean to catch him at her house today--for his own good; butsupposing it was not only the widow, but that he had committed a realcrime, or at least some very dishonourable action (of which he is, ofcourse, incapable), I repeat that even in that case, if he were treatedwith what I may call generous tenderness, one could get at the wholetruth, for he is very soft-hearted! Believe me, he would betray himselfbefore five days were out; he would burst into tears, and make a cleanbreast of the matter; especially if managed with tact, and if you andhis family watched his every step, so to speak. Oh, my dear prince,” Lebedeff added most emphatically, “I do not positively assert that hehas... I am ready, as the saying is, to shed my last drop of blood forhim this instant; but you will admit that debauchery, drunkenness, andthe captain’s widow, all these together may lead him very far.”
“I am, of course, quite ready to add my efforts to yours in such acase,” said the prince, rising; “but I confess, Lebedeff, that I amterribly perplexed. Tell me, do you still think... plainly, you sayyourself that you suspect Mr. Ferdishenko?”
Lebedeff clasped his hands once more.
“Why, who else could I possibly suspect? Who else, most outspokenprince?” he replied, with an unctuous smile.
Muishkin frowned, and rose from his seat.
“You see, Lebedeff, a mistake here would be a dreadful thing. ThisFerdishenko, I would not say a word against him, of course; but, whoknows? Perhaps it really was he? I mean he really does seem to be a morelikely man than... than any other.”
Lebedeff strained his eyes and ears to take in what the prince wassaying. The latter was frowning more and more, and walking excitedly upand down, trying not to look at Lebedeff.
“You see,” he said, “I was given to understand that Ferdishenko was thatsort of man,--that one can’t say everything before him. One has to takecare not to say too much, you understand? I say this to prove that hereally is, so to speak, more likely to have done this than anyone else,eh? You understand? The important thing is, not to make a mistake.”
“And who told you this about Ferdishenko?”
“Oh, I was told. Of course I don’t altogether believe it. I am verysorry that I should have had to say this, because I assure you I don’tbelieve it myself; it is all nonsense, of course. It was stupid of me tosay anything about it.”
“You see, it is very important, it is most important to know where yougot this report from,” said Lebedeff, excitedly. He had risen from hisseat, and was trying to keep step with the prince, running after him, upand down. “Because look here, prince, I don’t mind telling you now thatas we were going along to Wilkin’s this morning, after telling me whatyou know about the fire, and saving the count and all that, the generalwas pleased to drop certain hints to the same effect about Ferdishenko,but so vaguely and clumsily that I thought better to put a few questionsto him on the matter, with the result that I found the whole thing wasan invention of his excellency’s own mind. Of course, he only lies withthe best intentions; still, he lies. But, such being the case, wherecould you have heard the same report? It was the inspiration of themoment with him, you understand, so who could have told _you?_ It is animportant question, you see!”
“It was Colia told me, and his father told _him_ at about six thismorning. They met at the threshold, when Colia was leaving the room forsomething or other.” The prince told Lebedeff all that Colia had madeknown to himself, in detail.
“There now, that’s what we may call _scent!_” said Lebedeff, rubbing hishands and laughing silently. “I thought it must be so, you see. Thegeneral interrupted his innocent slumbers, at six o’clock, in orderto go and wake his beloved son, and warn him of the dreadful danger ofcompanionship with Ferdishenko. Dear me! what a dreadfully dangerous manFerdishenko must be, and what touching paternal solicitude, on the partof his excellency, ha! ha! ha!”
“Listen, Lebedeff,” began the prince, quite overwhelmed; “_do_ actquietly--don’t make a scandal, Lebedeff, I ask you--I entreat you! Noone must know--_no one_, mind! In that case only, I will help you.”
“Be assured, most honourable, most worthy of princes--be assured thatthe whole matter shall be buried within my heart!” cried Lebedeff, in aparoxysm of exaltation. “I’d give every drop of my blood... Illustriousprince, I am a poor wretch in soul and spirit, but ask the veriestscoundrel whether he would prefer to deal with one like himself, or witha noble-hearted man like you, and there is no doubt as to his choice!He’ll answer that he prefers the noble-hearted man--and there youhave the triumph of virtue! _Au revoir_, honoured prince! You and Itogether--softly! softly!”
X.
The prince understood at last why he shivered with dread every timehe thought of the three letters in his pocket, and why he had put offreading them until the evening.
When he fell into a heavy sleep on the
sofa on the verandah, withouthaving had the courage to open a single one of the three envelopes, heagain dreamed a painful dream, and once more that poor, “sinful” womanappeared to him. Again she gazed at him with tears sparkling on her longlashes, and beckoned him after her; and again he awoke, as before, withthe picture of her face haunting him.
He longed to get up and go to her at once--but he _could not_. At length,almost in despair, he unfolded the letters, and began to read them.
These letters, too, were like a dream. We sometimes have strange,impossible dreams, contrary to all the laws of nature. When we awake weremember them and wonder at their strangeness. You remember, perhaps,that you were in full possession of your reason during this successionof fantastic images; even that you acted with extraordinary logic andcunning while surrounded by murderers who hid their intentions and madegreat demonstrations of friendship, while waiting for an opportunityto cut your throat. You remember how you escaped them by some ingeniousstratagem; then you doubted if they were really deceived, or whetherthey were only pretending not to know your