THE entrance-hall suddenly became full of noise and people. To judge from the
sounds which penetrated to the drawing-room, a number of people had already come
in, and the stampede continued. Several voices were talking and shouting at
once; others were talking and shouting on the stairs outside; it was evidently a
most extraordinary visit that was about to take place.
Everyone exchanged startled glances. Gania rushed out towards the
dining-room, but a number of men had already made their way in, and met him.
"Ah! here he is, the Judas!" cried a voice which the prince recognized at
once. "How d'ye do, Gania, you old blackguard?"
There was no room for doubt in the prince's mind: one of the voices was
Rogojin's, and the other Lebedeff's.
Gania stood at the door like a block and looked on in silence, putting no
obstacle in the way of their entrance, and ten or a dozen men marched in behind
Parfen Rogojin. They were a decidedly mixed-looking collection, and some of them
came in in their furs and caps. None of them were quite drunk, but all appeared
to De considerably excited.
They seemed to need each other's support, morally, before they dared come in;
not one of them would have entered alone but with the rest each one was brave
enough. Even Rogojin entered rather cautiously at the head of his troop; but he
was evidently preoccupied. He appeared to be gloomy and morose, and had clearly
come with some end in view. All the rest were merely chorus, brought in to
support the chief character. Besides Lebedeff there was the dandy Zalesheff, who
came in without his coat and hat, two or three others followed his example; the
rest were more uncouth. They included a couple of young merchants, a man in a
great-coat, a medical student, a little Pole, a small fat man who laughed
continuously, and an enormously tall stout one who apparently put great faith in
the strength of his fists. A couple of "ladies" of some sort put their heads in
at the front door, but did not dare come any farther. Colia promptly banged the
door in their faces and locked it.
"Hallo, Gania, you blackguard! You didn't expect Rogojin, eh?" said the
latter, entering the drawing-room, and stopping before Gania.
But at this moment he saw, seated before him, Nastasia Philipovna. He had not
dreamed of meeting her here, evidently, for her appearance produced a marvellous
effect upon him. He grew pale, and his lips became actually blue.
"I suppose it is true, then!" he muttered to himself, and his face took on an
expression of despair. "So that's the end of it! Now you, sir, will you answer
me or not?" he went on suddenly, gazing at Gania with ineffable malice. "Now
then, you--"
He panted, and could hardly speak for agitation. He advanced into the room
mechanically; but perceiving Nina Alexandrovna and Varia he became more or less
embarrassed, in spite of his excitement. His followers entered after him, and
all paused a moment at sight of the ladies. Of course their modesty was not
fated to be long- lived, but for a moment they were abashed. Once let them begin
to shout, however, and nothing on earth should disconcert them.
"What, you here too, prince?" said Rogojin, absently, but a little surprised
all the same " Still in your gaiters, eh?" He sighed, and forgot the prince next
moment, and his wild eyes wandered over to Nastasia again, as though attracted
in that direction by some magnetic force.
Nastasia looked at the new arrivals with great curiosity. Gania recollected
himself at last.
No comments:
Post a Comment