As a general rule, old General Ivolgin's paroxysms ended in smoke. He had before this experienced fits of sudden fury, but not very often, because he was really a man of peaceful and kindly disposition. He had tried hundreds of times to overcome the dissolute habits which he had contracted of late years. He would suddenly remember that he was "a father," would be reconciled with his wife, and shed genuine tears. His feeling for Nina Alexandrovna amounted almost to adoration; she had pardoned so much in silence, and loved him still in spite of the state of degradation into which he had fallen. But the general's struggles with his own weakness never lasted very long. He was, in his way, an impetuous man, and a quiet life of repentance in the bosom of his family soon became insupportable to him. In the end he rebelled, and flew into rages which he regretted, perhaps, even as he gave way to them, but which were beyond his control. He picked quarrels with everyone, began to hold forth eloquently, exacted unlimited respect, and at last disappeared from the house, and sometimes did not return for a long time. He had given up interfering in the affairs of his family for two years now, and knew nothing about them but what he gathered from hearsay.
But on this occasion there was something more serious than usual. Everyone seemed to know something, but to be afraid to talk about it.
The general had turned up in the bosom of his family two or three days before, but not, as usual, with the olive branch of peace in his hand, not in the garb of penitence--in which he was usually clad on such occasions--but, on the contrary, in an uncommonly bad temper. He had arrived in a quarrelsome mood, pitching into everyone he came across, and talking about all sorts and kinds of subjects in the most unexpected manner, so that it was impossible to discover what it was that was really putting him out. At moments he would be apparently quite bright and happy; but as a rule he would sit moody and thoughtful. He would abruptly commence to hold forth about the Epanchins, about Lebedeff, or the prince, and equally abruptly would stop short and refuse to speak another word, answering all further questions with a stupid smile, unconscious that he was smiling, or that he had been asked a question. The whole of the previous night he had spent tossing about and groaning, and poor Nina Alexandrovna had been busy making cold compresses and warm fomentations and so on, without being very clear how to apply them. He had fallen asleep after a while, but not for long, and had awaked in a state of violent hypochondria which had ended in his quarrel with Hippolyte, and the solemn cursing of Ptitsin's establishment generally. It was also observed during those two or three days that he was in a state of morbid self-esteem, and was specially touchy on all points of honour. Colia insisted, in discussing the matter with his mother, that all this was but the outcome of abstinence from drink, or perhaps of pining after Lebedeff, with whom up to this time the general had been upon terms of the greatest friendship; but with whom, for some reason or other, he had quarrelled a few days since, parting from him in great wrath. There had also been a scene with the prince. Colia had asked an explanation of the latter, but had been forced to conclude that he was not told the whole truth.
If Hippolyte and Nina Alexandrovna had, as Gania suspected, had some special conversation about the general's actions, it was strange that the malicious youth, whom Gania had called a scandal-monger to his face, had not allowed himself a similar satisfaction with Colia.
The fact is that probably Hippolyte was not quite so black as Gania painted him; and it was hardly likely that he had informed Nina Alexandrovna of certain events, of which we know, for the mere pleasure of giving her pain. We must never forget that human motives are generally far more complicated than we are apt to suppose, and that we can very rarely accurately describe the motives of another. It is much better for the writer, as a rule, to content himself with the bare statement of events; and we shall take this line with regard to the catastrophe recorded above, and shall state the remaining events connected with the general's trouble shortly, because we feel that we have already given to this secondary character in our story more attention than we originally intended.
The course of events had marched in the following order. When Lebedeff returned, in company with the general, after their expedition to town a few days since, for the purpose of investigation, he brought the prince no information whatever. If the latter had not himself been occupied with other thoughts and impressions at the time, he must have observed that Lebedeff not only was very uncommunicative, but even appeared anxious to avoid him.
When the prince did give the matter a little attention, he recalled the fact that during these days he had always found Lebedeff to be in radiantly good spirits, when they happened to meet; and further, that the general and Lebedeff were always together. The two friends did not seem ever to be parted for a moment.
Occasionally the prince heard loud talking and laughing upstairs, and once he detected the sound of a jolly soldier's song going on above, and recognized the unmistakable bass of the general's voice. But the sudden outbreak of song did not last; and for an hour afterwards the animated sound of apparently drunken conversation continued to be heard from above. At length there was the clearest evidence of a grand mutual embracing, and someone burst into tears. Shortly after this, however, there was a violent but short-lived quarrel, with loud talking on both sides.
All these days Colia had been in a state of great mental preoccupation. Muishkin was usually out all day, and only came home late at night. On his return he was invariably informed that Colia had been looking for him. However, when they did meet, Colia never had anything particular to tell him, excepting that he was highly dissatisfied with the general and his present condition of mind and behaviour.
"They drag each other about the place," he said, and get drunk together at the pub close by here, and quarrel in the street on the way home, and embrace one another after it, and don't seem to part for a moment."
When the prince pointed out that there was nothing new about that, for that they had always behaved in this manner together, Colia did not know what to say; in fact he could not explain what it was that specially worried him, just now, about his father.
On the morning following the bacchanalian songs and quarrels recorded above, as the prince stepped out of the house at about eleven o'clock, the general suddenly appeared before him, much agitated.
"I have long sought the honour and opportunity of meeting you-- much-esteemed Lef Nicolaievitch," he murmured, pressing the prince's hand very hard, almost painfully so; "long--very long."
The prince begged him to step in and sit down.
"No--I will not sit down,--I am keeping you, I see,--another time!--I think I may be permitted to congratulate you upon the realization of your heart's best wishes, is it not so?"
"What best wishes?"
The prince blushed. He thought, as so many in his position do, that nobody had seen, heard, noticed, or understood anything.
"Oh--be easy, sir, be easy! I shall not wound your tenderest feelings. I've been through it all myself, and I know well how unpleasant it is when an outsider sticks his nose in where he is not wanted. I experience this every morning. I came to speak to you about another matter, though, an important matter. A very important matter, prince."
The latter requested him to take a seat once more, and sat down himself.
"Well--just for one second, then. The fact is, I came for advice. Of course I live now without any very practical objects in life; but, being full of self-respect, in which quality the ordinary Russian is so deficient as a rule, and of activity, I am desirous, in a word, prince, of placing myself and my wife and children in a position of--in fact, I want advice."
The prince commended his aspirations with warmth.
"Quite so--quite so! But this is all mere nonsense. I came here to speak of something quite different, something very important, prince. And I have determined to come to you as to a man in whose sincerity and nobility of feeling I can trust like--like--are you surprised at my words, prince?"
The prince was watching his guest, if not with much surprise, at all events with great attention and curiosity.
The old man was very pale; every now and then his lips trembled, and his hands seemed unable to rest quietly, but continually moved from place to place. He had twice already jumped up from his chair and sat down again without being in the least aware of it. He would take up a hook from the table and open it--talking all the while,--look at the heading of a chapter, shut it and put it back again, seizing another immediately, but holding it unopened in his hand, and waving it in the air as he spoke.
"But enough!" he cried, suddenly. "I see I have been boring you with my--"
"Not in the least--not in the least, I assure you. On the contrary, I am listening most attentively, and am anxious to guess-"
"Prince, I wish to place myself in a respectable position--I wish to esteem myself--and to--"
"My dear sir, a man of such noble aspirations is worthy of all esteem by virtue of those aspirations alone."
The prince brought out his "copy-book sentence" in the firm belief that it would produce a good effect. He felt instinctively that some such well-sounding humbug, brought out at the proper moment, would soothe the old man's feelings, and would be specially acceptable to such a man in such a position. At all hazards, his guest must be despatched with heart relieved and spirit comforted; that was the problem before the prince at this moment.
The phrase flattered the general, touched him, and pleased him mightily. He immediately changed his tone, and started off on a long and solemn explanation. But listen as he would, the prince could make neither head nor tail of it.
The general spoke hotly and quickly for ten minutes; he spoke as though his words could not keep pace with his crowding thoughts. Tears stood in his eyes, and yet his speech was nothing but a collection of disconnected sentences, without beginning and without end--a string of unexpected words and unexpected sentiments--colliding with one another, and jumping over one another, as they burst from his lips.
"Enough!" he concluded at last, "you understand me, and that is the great thing. A heart like yours cannot help understanding the sufferings of another. Prince, you are the ideal of generosity; what are other men beside yourself? But you are young--accept my blessing! My principal object is to beg you to fix an hour for a most important conversation--that is my great hope, prince. My heart needs but a little friendship and sympathy, and yet I cannot always find means to satisfy it."
"But why not now? I am ready to listen, and--"
"No, no--prince, not now! Now is a dream! And it is too, too important! It is to be the hour of Fate to me--MY OWN hour. Our interview is not to be broken in upon by every chance comer, every impertinent guest--and there are plenty of such stupid, impertinent fellows"--(he bent over and whispered mysteriously, with a funny, frightened look on his face)--"who are unworthy to tie your shoe, prince. I don't say MINE, mind--you will understand me, prince. Only YOU understand me, prince--no one else. HE doesn't understand me, he is absolutely--ABSOLUTELY unable to sympathize. The first qualification for understanding another is Heart."
The prince was rather alarmed at all this, and was obliged to end by appointing the same hour of the following day for the interview desired. The general left him much comforted and far less agitated than when he had arrived.
At seven in the evening, the prince sent to request Lebedeff to pay him a visit. Lebedeff came at once, and "esteemed it an honour," as he observed, the instant he entered the room. He acted as though there had never been the slightest suspicion of the fact that he had systematically avoided the prince for the last three days.
He sat down on the edge of his chair, smiling and making faces, and rubbing his hands, and looking as though he were in delighted expectation of hearing some important communication, which had been long guessed by all.
The prince was instantly covered with confusion; for it appeared to be plain that everyone expected something of him--that everyone looked at him as though anxious to congratulate him, and greeted him with hints, and smiles, and knowing looks.
Keller, for instance, had run into the house three times of late, "just for a moment," and each time with the air of desiring to offer his congratulations. Colia, too, in spite of his melancholy, had once or twice begun sentences in much the same strain of suggestion or insinuation.
The prince, however, immediately began, with some show of annoyance, to question Lebedeff categorically, as to the general's present condition, and his opinion thereon. He described the morning's interview in a few words.
"Everyone has his worries, prince, especially in these strange and troublous times of ours," Lebedeff replied, drily, and with the air of a man disappointed of his reasonable expectations.
"Dear me, what a philosopher you are!" laughed the prince.
Philosophy is necessary, sir--very necessary--in our day. It is too much neglected. As for me, much esteemed prince, I am sensible of having experienced the honour of your confidence in a certain matter up to a certain point, but never beyond that point. I do not for a moment complain--"
"Lebedeff, you seem to be angry for some reason!" said the prince.
"Not the least bit in the world, esteemed and revered prince! Not the least bit in the world!" cried Lebedeff, solemnly, with his hand upon his heart. "On the contrary, I am too painfully aware that neither by my position in the world, nor by my gifts of intellect and heart, nor by my riches, nor by any former conduct of mine, have I in any way deserved your confidence, which is far above my highest aspirations and hopes. Oh no, prince; I may serve you, but only as your humble slave! I am not angry, oh no! Not angry; pained perhaps, but nothing more.
"My dear Lebedeff, I--"
"Oh, nothing more, nothing more! I was saying to myself but now... 'I am quite unworthy of friendly relations with him,' say I; 'but perhaps as landlord of this house I may, at some future date, in his good time, receive information as to certain imminent and much to be desired changes--'"
So saying Lebedeff fixed the prince with his sharp little eyes, still in hope that he would get his curiosity satisfied.
The prince looked back at him in amazement.
"I don't understand what you are driving at!" he cried, almost angrily, "and, and--what an intriguer you are, Lebedeff!" he added, bursting into a fit of genuine laughter.
Lebedeff followed suit at once, and it was clear from his radiant face that he considered his prospects of satisfaction immensely improved.
"And do you know," the prince continued, "I am amazed at your naive ways, Lebedeff! Don't he angry with me--not only yours, everybody else's also! You are waiting to hear something from me at this very moment with such simplicity that I declare I feel quite ashamed of myself for having nothing whatever to tell you. I swear to you solemnly, that there is nothing to tell. There! Can you take that in?" The prince laughed again.
Lebedeff assumed an air of dignity. It was true enough that he was sometimes naive to a degree in his curiosity; but he was also an excessively cunning gentleman, and the prince was almost converting him into an enemy by his repeated rebuffs. The prince did not snub Lebedeff's curiosity, however, because he felt any contempt for him; but simply because the subject was too delicate to talk about. Only a few days before he had looked upon his own dreams almost as crimes. But Lebedeff considered the refusal as caused by personal dislike to himself, and was hurt accordingly. Indeed, there was at this moment a piece of news, most interesting to the prince, which Lebedeff knew and even had wished to tell him, but which he now kept obstinately to himself.
"And what can I do for you, esteemed prince? Since I am told you sent for me just now," he said, after a few moments' silence.
"Oh, it was about the general," began the prince, waking abruptly from the fit of musing which he too had indulged in "and-and about the theft you told me of."
"That is--er--about--what theft?"
"Oh come! just as if you didn't understand, Lukian Timofeyovitch! What are you up to? I can't make you out! The money, the money, sir! The four hundred roubles that you lost that day. You came and told me about it one morning, and then went off to Petersburg. There, NOW do you understand?"
"Oh--h--h! You mean the four hundred roubles!" said Lebedeff, dragging the words out, just as though it had only just dawned upon him what the prince was talking about. "Thanks very much, prince, for your kind interest--you do me too much honour. I found the money, long ago!"
"You found it? Thank God for that!"
"Your exclamation proves the generous sympathy of your nature, prince; for four hundred roubles--to a struggling family man like myself--is no small matter!"
"I didn't mean that; at least, of course, I'm glad for your sake, too," added the prince, correcting himself, " but--how did you find it?"
"Very simply indeed! I found it under the chair upon which my coat had hung; so that it is clear the purse simply fell out of the pocket and on to the floor!"
"Under the chair? Impossible! Why, you told me yourself that you had searched every corner of the room? How could you not have looked in the most likely place of all?"
"Of course I looked there,--of course I did! Very much so! I looked and scrambled about, and felt for it, and wouldn't believe it was not there, and looked again and again. It is always so in such cases. One longs and expects to find a lost article; one sees it is not there, and the place is as hare as one's palm; and yet one returns and looks again and again, fifteen or twenty times, likely enough!"
"Oh, quite so, of course. But how was it in your case?--I don't quite understand," said the bewildered prince. "You say it wasn't there at first, and that you searched the place thoroughly, and yet it turned up on that very spot!"
"Yes, sir--on that very spot." The prince gazed strangely at Lebedeff. "And the general?" he asked, abruptly.
"The--the general? How do you mean, the general?" said Lebedeff, dubiously, as though he had not taken in the drift of the prince's remark.
"Oh, good heavens! I mean, what did the general say when the purse turned up under the chair? You and he had searched for it together there, hadn't you?"
"Quite so--together! But the second time I thought better to say nothing about finding it. I found it alone."
"But--why in the world--and the money? Was it all there?"
"I opened the purse and counted it myself; right to a single rouble."
"I think you might have come and told me," said the prince, thoughtfully.
"Oh--I didn't like to disturb you, prince, in the midst of your private and doubtless most interesting personal reflections. Besides, I wanted to appear, myself, to have found nothing. I took the purse, and opened it, and counted the money, and shut it and put it down again under the chair."
"What in the world for?"
"Oh, just out of curiosity," said Lebedeff, rubbing his hands and sniggering.
"What, it's still there then, is it? Ever since the day before yesterday?"
"Oh no! You see, I was half in hopes the general might find it. Because if I found it, why should not he too observe an object lying before his very eyes? I moved the chair several times so as to expose the purse to view, but the general never saw it. He is very absent just now, evidently. He talks and laughs and tells stories, and suddenly flies into a rage with me, goodness knows why."
"Well, but--have you taken the purse away now?"
"No, it disappeared from under the chair in the night."
"Where is it now, then?"
"Here," laughed Lebedeff, at last, rising to his full height and looking pleasantly at the prince, "here, in the lining of my coat. Look, you can feel it for yourself, if you like!"
Sure enough there was something sticking out of the front of the coat--something large. It certainly felt as though it might well be the purse fallen through a hole in the pocket into the lining.
"I took it out and had a look at it; it's all right. I've let it slip back into the lining now, as you see, and so I have been walking about ever since yesterday morning; it knocks against my legs when I walk along."
"H'm! and you take no notice of it?"
"Quite so, I take no notice of it. Ha, ha! and think of this, prince, my pockets are always strong and whole, and yet, here in one night, is a huge hole. I know the phenomenon is unworthy of your notice; but such is the case. I examined the hole, and I declare it actually looks as though it had been made with a pen- knife, a most improbable contingency."
"And--and--the general?"
"Ah, very angry all day, sir; all yesterday and all today. He shows decided bacchanalian predilections at one time, and at another is tearful and sensitive, but at any moment he is liable to paroxysms of such rage that I assure you, prince, I am quite alarmed. I am not a military man, you know. Yesterday we were sitting together in the tavern, and the lining of my coat was-- quite accidentally, of course--sticking out right in front. The general squinted at it, and flew into a rage. He never looks me quite in the face now, unless he is very drunk or maudlin; but yesterday he looked at me in such a way that a shiver went all down my back. I intend to find the purse tomorrow; but till then I am going to have another night of it with him."
"What's the good of tormenting him like this?" cried the prince.
"I don't torment him, prince, I don't indeed!" cried Lebedeff, hotly. "I love him, my dear sir, I esteem him; and believe it or not, I love him all the better for this business, yes--and value him more."
Lebedeff said this so seriously that the prince quite lost his temper with him.
"Nonsense! love him and torment him so! Why, by the very fact that he put the purse prominently before you, first under the chair and then in your lining, he shows that he does not wish to deceive you, but is anxious to beg your forgiveness in this artless way. Do you hear? He is asking your pardon. He confides in the delicacy of your feelings, and in your friendship for him. And you can allow yourself to humiliate so thoroughly honest a man!"
"Thoroughly honest, quite so, prince, thoroughly honest!" said Lebedeff, with flashing eyes. "And only you, prince, could have found so very appropriate an expression. I honour you for it, prince. Very well, that's settled; I shall find the purse now and not tomorrow. Here, I find it and take it out before your eyes! And the money is all right. Take it, prince, and keep it till tomorrow, will you? Tomorrow or next day I'll take it back again. I think, prince, that the night after its disappearance it was buried under a bush in the garden. So I believe--what do you think of that?"
"Well, take care you don't tell him to his face that you have found the purse. Simply let him see that it is no longer in the lining of your coat, and form his own conclusions."
"Do you think so? Had I not just better tell him I have found it, and pretend I never guessed where it was?"
"No, I don't think so," said the prince, thoughtfully; "it's too late for that--that would be dangerous now. No, no! Better say nothing about it. Be nice with him, you know, but don't show him --oh, YOU know well enough--"
"I know, prince, of course I know, but I'm afraid I shall not carry it out; for to do so one needs a heart like your own. He is so very irritable just now, and so proud. At one moment he will embrace me, and the next he flies out at me and sneers at me, and then I stick the lining forward on purpose. Well, au revoir, prince, I see I am keeping you, and boring you, too, interfering with your most interesting private reflections."
"Now, do be careful! Secrecy, as before!"
"Oh, silence isn't the word! Softly, softly!"
But in spite of this conclusion to the episode, the prince remained as puzzled as ever, if not more so. He awaited next morning's interview with the general most impatiently.
但是这回“将军的胡闹”却表现出某种不同寻常的东西；大家都仿佛知道什么事，大家又似乎害怕说出来。将军“正式”到家里来，也就是到尼娜·亚历山德罗夫娜这儿来，仅仅是三天前的事，但是不像过去“回来”时那样通常显得很温顺并表示悔过，这次却相反，他非同寻常地好发怒。他说话很多，心神不宁，跟所有遇见他的人说起话来都很激烈，仿佛一个劲地急急责备他人似的，但谈的尽是五花八门、意想不到的事，你无论如何也弄不清楚，现在使他心神不宁的究竟是什么。有时他说话很快话，但常常若有所思，不过他自己也不知道到底在想什么，突然他开始讲起什么事情来--讲叶潘钦家，讲公爵，讲列别杰夫--又嘎然而止，完全不再说话，对于人家的追问只是报以愚钝的微笑，其实，他甚至没有发觉人家在问他，而他自己在笑。最后一夜他唉声叹气，哼哼哈哈的，把尼娜·亚尼山德罗夫娜折腾得够受，她整夜都给他做热敷；早晨他忽然睡着了、睡了四个小时，醒来时疑心病大发作弄得不可收拾，最后与伊波利特吵嘴以“诅咒这个家”而告终。大家也注意到，这三天中他不断地陷于强烈的自尊心理，结果就是变得异常容易见怪。科利亚劝说着母亲，坚持认为这一切是想酒喝的缘故，也可能是想列别杰夫，因为近些时候来将军与他异常友好，但是三天前他忽然与列别杰夫吵架了，分手时极为愤怒，甚至跟公爵也有什么龃龉。科利亚请求公爵说明情况，可事后他就开始怀疑、有什么事情公爵似乎不想告诉他。如果像加尼亚绝对有把握地认为的那样，在伊彼利特和尼娜·亚历山德罗夫娜之间发生过某种特殊的谈话，那么奇怪的是，被加尼亚直截了当称之爱搬弄是非者的这个恶毒的先生并没有用这样的方式来开导科利亚并以此为乐。很可能，这不是如加尼亚跟瓦里娅说话时描写成那样的恶毒的“男核”，而是另一类恶毒；再说他未必会告诉尼娜·亚历山德罗夫娜自己的某种观察结果，仅仅是为了“撕碎她的心”。我们不会忘记，人的行为的原因通常比我们事后解释的总要无限之杂、多样得多，并且很少能明确地描述清楚的，有时候讲活者最好还是局限于简单扼要的叙述。下面解释将军现在发生的灾难时我们就将这样做；因为无论我们怎么努力，还是完全有必要把比原先设想的更多的注意和篇幅放到我们故事的这个次要人物身上。
这些事件一件接一件顺序是这样的：
列别杰夫去彼得堡寻找费尔迪先科后，就在那一天与将军一起回来了，他没有告诉公爵什么特别的情况。假如那时公爵不是被别的一些对他来说是重要的想法分了心和占据了头脑的话，那么他很快就会发现，在那以后的两天里列别杰夫不仅没有向他做任何说明，相反，他甚至不知为什么回避跟公爵见面。最后，公爵终于注意到这一情况，他感到非常诧异，在这两天里他偶然遇见列别杰夫时，记得他也总是兴高采烈，心境极好，而且几乎老跟将军在一起。两个朋友已经到了一刻也不分离的地步。公爵有时候听到上面传至他这儿的很快的大声谈话，夹着笑声的快活的争论；有一次很晚了忽如其来出人意料地传到他这儿一阵又是歌颂战斗的又是歌颂酒神的歌声，公爵立图分辨出这是将军的沙哑的男低音。但是响起了歌声没有唱完又突然静默下来了。接着是热烈振奋的，据种种迹象来判断是喝醉了的谈话，延续了大约一小时。可以猜到，楼上寻欢作乐的朋友在拥抱，最后两人哭了起来。后来突然又是激烈的争吵，但也很快就沉寂下来。整个这段时间科利亚的情绪特别忧虑不安。公爵大部分时间不在家，有时回来很晚：总是有人告诉他，科利亚整天都在找他，打听他。但是在见面时科利亚却没说什么特别的话，只是对将军及其目前的举止表示极大的“不满”，说他们“到处闲逛，在不远的一家小酒馆里酗酒，在街上拥抱和骂人，互相挑逗招惹，又无法分手。”当公爵向他指出，过去几乎每天也都是这种样子时，科利亚简直不知道怎么回答和怎么解释，目前他的不安究竟归结为什么原因。
在唱酒神歌和争吵以后的第二天上午，大约１１点左右，公爵正欲走出家门时，将军突然出现在他面前，因什么而异常焦躁不安，几乎是激动非凡。
“深深尊敬的列夫·尼古拉那维奇，我寻找机会荣幸地见到您已经很久了，很久，非常久，”他十分紧地握住公爵的手，几乎使人感到疼痛，一边嘟哝着说，“非常非常久了。”
公爵请他坐下。
“不，不坐了，何况我耽搁您了，我……下次吧，好像，借此机会我可以祝贺您……实现了……心愿。”
“什么心愿？”
公爵不好意思了。正像许多处于他这种状况的人那样，他觉得，无论谁都绝对什么也看不到、猜不到、理解不到。
“请放心，请放心！我不令惊扰您那最最柔婉的感情的。我自己也体验过，我自己知道，什么是不知趣，用谚语……好像这么说……外人的……鼻子……伸到人家不要你伸的地方了。每天上午我都体验到这一点。我来有另一件事，一件重要的事。公爵，是一件非常重要的事。”
公爵又一次请他坐下，自己也坐了下来。
“那就坐一会儿……我来请您出主意，当然，我现在过的是没有实际目的的生活；但是我尊重自己，尊重……俄罗斯人那么忽视的求实进取精神，总的来说……，我希望能使自己，我的妻子、我的孩子能有地位……一句话，公爵，我是来讨教的。”
公爵热烈地称赞了他的意图。
“嘿，这一切都是胡说，”将军很快就打断他说，“主要的我不是谈这个，是谈另一件重要的事。我决定正是向您表明心迹，列夫·尼古拉耶维奇，因为您是个真诚待人和有高尚情操的人，我对此深信不疑，还因为……因为……您对我的话不感到惊讶吧，公爵？”
公爵即使不特别惊讶，也异常注意和好奇地注视着这位客人。老头有点脸色发白，他的嘴唇有时微微哆嗦，两只手似乎也找不到安宁的地方可放。他仅仅坐了几分钟，已经不知为什么两次从椅子上站起来，又突然坐下，显然毫不注意自己的仪态。桌上放着书；他一边继续说话，一边拿起一本书，朝翻开的书页里阴了一眼，马上又合拢书，将它放到桌上，又抓起另一本，他已不再打开这一本，其余的时间里一直将它拿在右手中，不停地挥动着它。
“够了！”他突然高喊起来，“我看得出，我大大打扰了您。”
“丝毫也不，别那么想，请讲吧，相反我在用心听并想领悟……”
“公爵！我希望使自己能有令人尊敬的地位……我希望尊重自己以及……自己的权利、”
“一个人有这样的愿望，光凭这点他就已完全值得尊敬了。”
公爵说出这一古板的句子深信会产生很好的作用。他仿佛本能地猜测到，类似刚才所说的空泛但听起来让人舒心的句子能突然征服像将军这样的，特别是处于这种状态中的人的心灵，并使之平静。不论怎样，应该让这样的客人走时心头轻松，这就是他的使命。
这句话使将军快活，有所触动并且也讨得他的喜欢。他突然大为感动，一下子改变了语气，开始热烈地做起长篇解释来。但是公爵无论怎么集中注意，无论多么用心倾听，他还是什么也没有听懂。将军说了１０分钟光景，说得热情洋溢，速度很快，仿佛怕来不及说出拥塞着的万端思绪；未了在他的眼中甚至泪花晶莹，但这毕竟是些没头没尾的句子，一些出人意料的话语，一些出人意料的思想，它们迅速而意外的冒出来，从一个思想突然跳到另一个思想。
“够了！您理解我了，我也就安心了，”他站起身，突然结柬说，“像您这样的心不可能不理解一个正在饱受痛苦的人。公爵，您高尚大度堪称理想！其余人在您面前算得了什么？但您还年轻，我为您祝福。最后我来是请求您为我拟定个时间进行一次重要的谈话，这就是我最主要的希望。我寻求的仅仅是友谊和心灵，公爵；我始终未能应付心灵的要求。”
“但是为什么不就现在谈呢？我洗耳恭听……”
“不，公爵，不！”将军急切地打断他说，“不是现在！现在谈是种理想！这太重要了，太大重要了！谈话的时刻将是彻底决定命运的时刻。这将是我的时刻、我不希望在这样的神圣的时刻第一个进来的人，头号厚颜无耻之徒来打断我们，而这样的无耻之徒往往会这样，”他忽然俯向公爵，用一种奇怪、神秘、几乎是惊恐的声音低语道，“这样的无耻之徒不值……你脚上的一只鞋跟，心爱的公爵！哦，我不说我脚上！您特别要注意：我没有提及我的脚；因为我太尊重自己了，以便直截了当他说出这一点；但是只有您一个人能理解，在这种情况下我不提自己的鞋跟，也许表现非凡的尊严和自豪。除您之外，别人谁都不会理解，公爵；完完全全不能理解！要理解需有一颗心！”
到最后公爵几乎害怕了，便给将军约走第二天也是这个时间见面。将军离去时情绪振奋，精神上得到了莫大安慰，差不多平静安定了，晚上６点多时公爵派人请别列杰夫到自己这儿来一下。
列别杰夫非常快就来了，他一进来就立即说“感到不胜荣幸”；而三天来他就像躲起来一般，显然是回避与公爵见面，现在仿佛没这回事似的。他坐到椅子边上，又是挤眉弄眼，又是满脸堆笑，小眼睛流露出嘲笑和探究的目光，同时还搓着手，摆出一副极为天真的样子等待听到什么期待已久并已为众人猜到的重大消息。这一切又使公爵感到厌恶；他渐渐明白，大家突然都开始期待着他什么，大家都看着他，似乎想要祝贺他什么，他们暗示着，微笑着，挤眉弄眼着，凯勒尔已经跑来三次，每次都呆一会儿，显然也是想来祝贺的：每次都兴高采烈又含混下清地开始说话，什么也没有讲究，便很快她走开了。（最近这些日子不知在什么地方他纵酒狂欢，这在一间弹子房里名声大振。）甚至连科利亚也不顾自己的忧虑，两次含糊其辞地与公爵谈起什么。
公爵有点气恼地直截了当问列别杰夫，对于将军目前的状态他是怎么想的，为什么将军如此不安？他三言两语向他讲述了刚才的情景。
“任何人都有自己的不安，公爵，……特别是在我们这个奇怪和不安分的世纪；就是这么回事，”列别杰夫有点冷淡地回答说，接着就委屈地下作声了，摆出一副自己的期望大受欺骗的样子。
“这算什么哲学！”公爵冷笑一下说。
“哲学是需要的，在我们这个世纪非常需要，做实际运用，但是它却受到轻视，就是这么回事，从我来说，深深敬爱的公爵，我虽然荣幸地在您所知道的某件事上得到您对我的信任，但是就只到一定程度，绝不超过那件事本身的情况……我理解这一点，丝毫也下抱怨。”
“列别杰夫，您仿佛在为什么事生气？”
“丝毫没有，一点也没有，我深深敬爱和光辉照人的公爵，一点也没有！”列别杰夫一只手按在心口，激昂地说，“相反，我恰恰马上就明白，无论是在社会上的地位，智力和心灵的发展水平，积累的财富，我过去的行为，还有知识--无论什么我都不配得到您可敬的高于我希望的信任；如果我能力您效劳，那就是当一个奴仆和佣人，而不是别的……我不是生气，只是忧伤。”
“鲁基扬·季莫菲伊奇，请别这么想！”
“绝不是别的！现在就是这样，眼前的境况就是这样！在遇见您并用我的全部心灵和思想注视您的时候，我常对自己说：朋友式的通报情况我是不配的，但是作为房东，也许在适当的时候，在期待的日期之前，这么说吧，我能得到您的指示，或者由于面临的期待着的某些变化而能得到您的通知。”
列别杰夫说这番话时，一双尖利的小眼睛一个劲地盯着惊愕地望着他的公爵；他仍然怀着满足自己好奇心的希望。
“我根本就一点也不明白，”公爵几乎愤怒地喊了起来，“您……是极端可怕的阴谋家。”他突然发生最由衷的哈哈大笑声。
列别杰夫一下子也大笑起来，他那闪烁的目光强烈地表明，他的希望已经表达清楚，甚至加倍说清楚了。
“知道吗，鲁基扬·季莫菲伊奇，我要对您说什么？只不过您别对我生气。我对您，而且不只是对您的幼稚感到惊讶！您怀着这样的幼稚期待从我这儿得到什么，而且就是现在，在此刻，这简直令我在您面前感到内疚和羞愧，因为我没有什么可以满足您；但我向您发誓，绝对没有什么，真是这样！”
公爵又笑了起来。
列别杰夫摆出一本正经的样子。的确，他有时甚至过分幼稚，好奇得令人讨厌；但与此同时这又是个相当狡黠和诡谲的人，在有些情况下甚至过分狡诈和沉默寡言。由于经常对他反感和疏远，公爵几乎给自己树了个敌人。但是公爵疏远他并非是蔑视他，而是因为他所好奇的是些颇为微妙的问题。还在几天前公爵把自己的某些理想看成是罪过，而鲁基扬·季莫菲伊奇则把公爵的拒绝看做仅仅是对自己的厌恶和不信任，因此常常带着一颗受到伤害的心从公爵身边走开，并且嫉妒科利亚和凯勒尔与公爵的关系，甚至嫉妒自己的女儿维拉·鲁基扬诺夫娜。甚至就在此刻他本来也许能够也愿意真诚地告诉公爵一个对外爵来说是极为有意思的消息，但是他却阴沉地闭口不言，没有说出来。
“说实在的，我能力您效什么劳，深深敬爱的公爵，因为毕竟您现在把我……叫了来，”沉默片刻后他终于说道。
“对了，其实，我想了解一下将军的事，”公爵也沉思了片刻，现在猝然一振，说，“还有……关于您告诉我的这次失窃的事……”
“关于什么？”
“瞧您，好像现在不憧我的话似的！啊，天哪，鲁基杨·季莫菲伊奇，您老是在演戏！是说钱，钱，您那时丢失的４００卢布，在皮夹里的，早晨动身去彼得堡时您到我这儿来讲的这回事，究竟明白没有？”
“啊，您这是讲那４００卢布！”列别杰夫仿佛只是现在才豁然明白，拖长了声调说，“感谢您，公爵，谢谢您的真切关心；这对我来说太荣幸了，但是……我找到了，早已找到了。”
“找到了！啊，谢天谢地！”
“您发出的感叹是极为高尚的，因为４００卢布对于一个以艰辛的劳动力为生、有一大群孤儿的人来说实在并非是无关紧要的事……”
“我说的不是这一点！当然，您找到了，我也为此高兴，”公爵急忙改口说，“但是……您是怎么找到的呢？”
“非常简单，是在椅子底下找到的，我曾在那把椅子上放过常礼服，这样，显然是皮夹从口袋里滑出悼到地上。”
“怎么会掉到椅子下面去呢？不可能，您不是对我说过，所有的角落都搜寻过了，在这个最主要的地方您怎么遗漏了呢？”
“问题就在于我看过了！我记得太清楚了太清楚了，我是看过的！我四肢着地抓着，还搬开了椅子，用双手摸索过这块地方，因为我不相信自己的眼睛：我看见那里什么也没有，空空荡荡，平平光光，就像我的手掌一样，但我仍然摸索着。一个令人伤心地丢失了重要的东西……非常想找到它，尽管看到那灯什么也没有，空空如也，却仍要往那里看上十五次，这种时候往往总是产生类似灰心沮丧的情绪。”
“对，就算这样；只是怎么会这样呢？……我始终不可理解，”公爵莫名其妙地喃喃说，“您说，那地方先是什么也没有，而且您在那地方还找过，可一下又突然出现了？”
“确实一下子又突然出现了。”
公爵奇怪地望了一眼列别杰夫。
“那么将军呢？”他突然问。
“您说什么，将军？”列别杰夫又糊涂了。
“啊，我的天哪！我是问，您在椅子底下找到皮夹后，将军说什么了？您起先不是跟他一起找的吗？”
“起先是一起找的，但这一次，我向您承认，我没有吭声，认为还是不要告诉他皮夹已被我单独找到了。”
“为……为什么？钱都在吗？”
“我找开皮夹，钱都在，甚至一个卢布也不少。”
“至少要来告诉我一声嘛，”公爵若有所思地指出。
“我怕打扰您，公爵，因为您自己的事也许已使您，这么说吧，有异常丰富的感想了；此外，我自己仍装做什么也没找到。皮夹是打开过，看过，后来又合上，又将它放到椅子底下。”
“这是为什么？”
“就这样，出于进一步的好奇，”列别杰夫搓着手，突然嘻嘻笑着说。
“现在它就这样放在那里，第三天了？”
“哦，不，只放了一昼夜。要知道，在某种程度上我想让将军也找找。因为，既然我终于找到了，那又为什么将军不能发现这么引人注目，这么明显地放在椅子下的东西呢？我几次激动这张椅子，将它摆得让这个皮夹完全显露出来，但是将军却丝毫也没有注意到，这样过了整整一昼夜。看来，他现在非常心不在焉，你简直弄下明白；他说啊，讲啊，笑啊，打哈哈，而一下子又对我大发雷霆，我不知道究竟为什么。最后我们走出房间，我故意不锁门就走开了；他却犹豫起来了，想说什么话，想必是这只有这么多钱的皮夹使他担惊了，但突然又大发起脾气来，什么话也没说；我们在街上没走几步路，他就撇下我，朝另一个方向走了。直到晚上才在酒馆里遇上了。”
“但是，最终您还是从椅子下拿到了皮夹。”
“不，就在那天夜里椅子底下的皮夹不翼而飞了。”
“那么现在它在什么地方？”
“就在这里，”列别杰夫从椅子上挺直身子站起来，快活地望着公爵，忽然笑着说，“突然它就在这里，在我常礼服的下摆里。瞧，您请亲自来看看，摸摸。”
确实，在常礼服左边下摆，简直就在前面的位置，非常显眼，构成一只口袋似的，摸一下便立即能猜到，这里有一只皮夹子，它是从兜底通了的口袋里掉到那儿去的。
“我掏出来看过，分文不少。我又放进去，昨天起就这样让它留在下摆里带在身上，走起路来甚至还磕碰腿。”
“您难道没有发觉？”
“我是没有发觉，嘻嘻！您倒想想，深深敬爱的公爵（虽然此事不值得您如此特别的关注），我的口袋一直是完好的，可突然一夜之间一下子有了这么个窟窿！我就好奇地细细察看了，似乎是有人用削笔刀割破的，几乎是不可思议的事！”
“那么……将军怎么样？”
“他整天都在生气，昨天和今天都这样；心里不称心满意得不得了；一会儿兴奋发狂乃至乐意巴结奉承，一会儿多愁善感乃至声泪俱下，一会儿突然大发脾气乃至我都怕他，真的；公爵，我毕竟不是军人。昨天我们坐在酒馆里，我的衣下摆仿佛无意间非常明显地突出着，像座小山似地鼓鼓的；他斜眼膘着，生着闷气。他现在早就已经不正面看我了，除非醉得很厉害或者大动感情的时候；但是昨天却两次这样看了我一眼，我背上简直起了鸡皮疙瘩。不过，我准备明天把皮夹算正式找出来，而在明天之前还要跟他一起玩一玩。”
“您这样折磨他是为了什么？”公爵高声嚷了起来。
“我不是折磨他，公爵，不是折磨，”列别杰夫急切地接着说，“我真诚地爱他和……尊敬他；而现在，随您信不信，他对我来说变得更为可贵，我更看重他了！”
列别杰夫说这一切的时候是那么认真和诚挚，实在让公爵的气忿得很。
“您爱他，又这样折磨他！得了吧，他把您丢失的东西给您放到显眼的地方……椅子底下和常礼服里，他就想用这一着直接向您表示，他不想跟您耍滑头，而是朴直地请求您的原谅。您听见了吧：他在请求原谅！看来，他寄希望于你们之间的温厚感情，相信您对他的友情。可是您却把这么一个……极为诚实的人蒙受这样的屈辱！”
“极为诚实的人，公爵，极为诚实的人！”列别杰夫目光炯炯，接过话说，“正是只有您一个人，最高尚的公爵，能说出这么公正的话来：就为这一点我忠于您，甚至崇拜您，虽然我因为各种恶习已经腐朽了！就这样决定了！现在，我马上就把皮夹找出来，下等明天了；瞧，我当您的面把它掏出来；喏，就是它；喏，钱也悉数都在；喏，您拿起来，最高尚的公爵，拿着，保存到明天，明天或后天我会拿的；知道吗，公爵，这丢失的钱第一夜曾藏在我花园里一块小石头下面，您怎么想。”
“注意，别这么当面对他说皮夹找到了。就让他无意地看到，衣服下摆里已经什么也没有了，他就会明白的。”
“就这样的吗？告诉他我找到了，不是更好吗？还要装做在此以前一直没有猜到在什么地方。”
“不，”公爵沉思着说，“不，现在已经晚了，这比较危险；真的，最好别说！面对他您要温和些，但是……也别太敞了……还有……还有……您自己知道。”
“我知道，公爵，知道，也就是说，我知道是知道，恐怕做不到；因为这要有像您这样的心。何况我自己也是个易动怒和脾气坏的人，他现在有时候对我十分傲慢；一会嘤嘤啜位和紧紧拥抱，一会又突然开始侮辱人，轻蔑地嘲笑人；嘿，这下我可要故意把下摆显示出来，嘻嘻！再见，公爵，显然我阻碍和打扰了您最有意思的感情，可以这么说……”
“但是，看在上帝面上，请保守原先的秘密！”
“悄悄地行动，悄悄地行动！”
但是，尽管事情已经了结，公爵仍然心事重重，几乎比过去更加忧虑。他急不可耐地等待着明天与将军的约会。