Fyodor Dostoevsky

“ Come along, Colia, don't disturb the prince."
At the door they met Gania coming in.
"Is father in?" he asked. Colia whispered something in his ear and went out.
"Just a couple of words, prince, if you'll excuse me. Don't blab over THERE about what you may see here, or in this house as to all that about Aglaya and me, you know. Things are not altogether pleasant in this establishment—devil take it all! You'll see. At all events keep your tongue to yourself for TODAY."
"I assure you I 'blabbed' a great deal less than you seem to suppose," said the prince, with some annoyance. ”

“ At this moment Gania and Ptitsin entered the room together, and Nina Alexandrovna immediately became silent again. The prince remained seated next to her, but Varia moved to the other end of the room; the portrait of Nastasia Philipovna remained lying as before on the work-table. Gania observed it there, and with a frown of annoyance snatched it up and threw it across to his writing-table, which stood at the other end of the room.
"Is it today, Gania?" asked Nina Alexandrovna, at last.
"Is what today?" cried the former. Then suddenly recollecting himself, he turned sharply on the prince. ”

“ The prince took down the chain and opened the door. He started back in amazement—for there stood Nastasia Philipovna. He knew her at once from her photograph. Her eyes blazed with anger as she looked at him. She quickly pushed by him into the hall, shouldering him out of her way, and said, furiously, as she threw off her fur cloak:
"If you are too lazy to mend your bell, you should at least wait in the hall to let people in when they rattle the bell handle. ”

“ The prince looked inquiringly at the other.
"Yes, a marriage is being arranged—a marriage between a questionable woman and a young fellow who might be a flunkey. They wish to bring this woman into the house where my wife and daughter reside, but while I live and breathe she shall never enter my doors. I shall lie at the threshold, and she shall trample me underfoot if she does. I hardly talk to Gania now, and avoid him as much as I can. ”

“ He dines alone. Everyone has his little peculiarities, you know, and some people perhaps have more than those who are most pointed at and laughed at. One thing I must beg of you-if my husband applies to you for payment for board and lodging, tell him that you have already paid me. Of course anything paid by you to the general would be as fully settled as if paid to me, so far as you are concerned; but I wish it to be so, if you please, for convenience' sake. What is it, Varia?"
Varia had quietly entered the room, and was holding out the portrait of Nastasia Philipovna to her mother. ”

“ Avis au lecteur. Good-bye; do you think a man can possibly live with a name like Ferdishenko?"
"Why not?"
"Good-bye."
And so he departed. The prince found out afterwards that this gentleman made it his business to amaze people with his originality and wit, but that it did not as a rule "come off." He even produced a bad impression on some people, which grieved him sorely; but he did not change his ways for all that.
As he went out of the prince's room, he collided with yet another visitor coming in. ”

“ Gania used to grind his teeth with rage over the state of affairs; though he was anxious to be dutiful and polite to his mother. However, it was very soon apparent to anyone coming into the house, that Gania was the tyrant of the family.
Nina Alexandrovna and her daughter were both seated in the drawing-room, engaged in knitting, and talking to a visitor, Ivan Petrovitch Ptitsin.
The lady of the house appeared to be a woman of about fifty years of age, thin-faced, and with black lines under the eyes. She looked ill and rather sad; but her face was a pleasant one for all that ”

“ He takes a couple of pistols out of his pocket—across a handkerchief—without witnesses. Why invite witnesses when both of us would be walking in eternity in a couple of minutes? The pistols are loaded; we stretch the handkerchief and stand opposite one another. ”

“ Everything proved that it was really he, the very same soldier Kolpakoff who had been given the usual military funeral to the sound of the drum. It is of course a most curious case—nearly an impossible one. I recognize that ... but—"
"Father, your dinner is ready," said Varvara at this point, putting her head in at the door.
"Very glad, I'm particularly hungry. Yes, yes, a strange coincidence—almost a psychological—"
"Your soup'll be cold; do come."
"Coming, coming " said the general. "Son of my old friend—" he was heard muttering as he went down the passage. ”