Original subtitles

Downloaded From www.AllSubs.org

with the support of the Cinematography Service

the Russian Ministry of Culture

produced by 2-B-2 Studio ENTERTAlNMENT

Fyodor Mikhailovitch Dostoevsky

lDlOT

Evgeni MlRONOV As prince Muishkin

Starring

Vladimir MASHKOV

Lidiya VELEZHEVA

Olga Budina

lnna CHURlKOVA

Alexei PETRENKO

Vladimir lLYlN

Michael BOYARSKY

Alexander LAZAREV

Larisa MALEVANNAYA

Maria KlSELYOVA

Written and directed by Vladimir BORTKO

Photography by Dmitri MASS

Design by

Vladimir SVETOZAROV Marina NlKOLAYEVA

Original music by lgor KORNELYUK

Producer Valery TODORORVSKl

Episode 7

Let's go, l'll drink the health of you.

Has Mr. Hippolyte moved to you?

Yes.

He will not die just now, l guess.

Why so?

That's nothing.

l stayed with him for half an hour here.

ls it true, prince, that you said once that beauty will save the world?

Yes.

Gentlemen, the prince asserts that beauty will save the world

But l assert that the reason he has such playful ideas is

that he is in love.

Gentlemen, l intend to read an article.

Supper, of course, is more interesting, but...

Why read? lt's time to supper now.

An article? A magazine article?

What have you there?

You wrote it yesterday.

l was writing it all day yesterday,

and all night,

and finished in this morning.

Better not read!

Don't read it!

l'm not to read it?

Has anyone got a twenty-kopeck piece?

Here you are.

l read it!

But what? Can l really have tossed up?

You must make a note, prince,

l believe you're collecting facts relating to capital punishment.

Oh, my God, what senseless absurdity!

lf you'd only read it without a preface.

lt's affectation!

lt's not the way to set about this business, lad,

it's not the way.

Gentlemen,

l'll break a seal of my envelope.

An essential explanation!

Motto:

After us the Deluge.

The idea

that it's not worth while to live a few weeks

took complete possession of me when l came from that evening from Pavlovsk.

The first moment l fully directly grasped that thought

was on the prince's verandah,

at the instant when l dreamed

that they would all fling wide their arms,

and beg my forgiveness,

and l theirs.

ln short, l behaved like a stupid fool.

And it was at that time a ''hot conviction''

sprang up in me.

l wondered how l could have lived for six months

without that conviction!

l knew for a fact l had consumption

and it was incurable.

l clutched at life, l wanted to live whatever happened.

l couldn't understand, for instance, why people

who had so much life before them

did not become rich.

And, l don't understand it now.

l knew one poor fellow,

who died of hunger.

lf it had been possible to bring that poor devil back to life

l believe l'd have had him executed.

l was sometimes better and able to go out of doors

but the street exasperated me at last to such a degree

that l purposely sat indoors

couldn't endure the scurrying, bustling people, ever lastingly dreadly

worried and preoccupied.

Whose fault is it that they're miserable and don't know how to live

they've sixty years of life before them?

lf they're alive they have everything in their power!

Whose fault is it they don't understand that?

Oh God, Oh, how l used to dream then,

how l longed to be turned out into the street at eighteen,

almost without clothing, without coveging,

to be deserted and utterly alone,

without work, without lodging,

without a crust of bread, without relations,

hungry, beaten but healthy

and then l would show them

l had a little pocket-pistol.

A month ago l looked at it, and got it ready.

l decided to die at Pavlofsk at sunrise,

and l meant to go into the park, so as not to upset anyone in the villa.

My ''Explanation'' will explain things sufficiently to the police.

l beg the prince to keep one copy for himself,

and to give another to

Aglaya lvanovna Epanchin.

Such is my will.

l bequeath my skeleton to the Medical Academy

for the good of science.

l don't admit the right of any man to judge me

and l know that l am now beyond the reach of judgement.

lf the fancy suddenly took me to kill ten people at once,

what a predicament my judges would be in

with me having only a fortnight to live,

now that corporal punishment and torture is abolished.

What is it to anyone

that l should not only be condemned,

but should conscientiously my sentence,

in a shade of the Pavlofsk's trees.

What is there for me in this beauty when, every minute,

every second, l'm obliged to recognise

even the tiny fly, buzzing in the sunlight beside me

has its banquet and the chores,

knows its place, loves it

and is happy.

l alone am an outcast,

and only my cowardice

has made me refuse to realize it!

When l reach these lines the sun will rise.

l'll die, looking straight at the source of power and life

l do not want this life.

The sun has risen!

The sun has risen!

Why, did you think it wasn't going to rise?

lt'll be baking hot again, all day.

What it there's a month of this drought!

Are we going or not, Ptitsin?

You act your indifference very awkwardly

to insult me.

You're cur!

Well, that's beyond anything, to let oneself go like!

What phenomenal feebleness!

He's simply a fool

Ech, we've been sitting too long - my bones ache.

Goodbye, prince.

- Goodnight, prince. - Goodnight.

Listen, Mr.Terentieff, l believe

You speak in your manuscript of your skeleton and wish leave it to the Academy?

You mean your own skeleton, your bones you mean, isn't it?

-Yes, my bones. - That's all right then.

- l asked for fear there should be a mistake. l've been told there was such a case.

How can you tease him?

No, excuse me, it's a strange way of this things.

''l shoot myself in the park, so as not to upset anyone.

That's his notion he won't upset anyone

if he goes down three steps into the park.

Gentlemen. Gentlemen. l.

No, allow me, honoured prince.

ln the first place,

he must give up the pistol

he boasted about before us all,

and all the ammunition too.

lf he gives it up,

l consent to let him stay the night in this house,

in consideration of his invalid state.

But tomorrow he must certainly go about his business.

Excuse me, prince!

lf he won't give up his weapon, l'll send at once to inform the police.

Mr.Ferdishenko, as a friend, will go for them.

- But he's going to shoot himself. - He's going to shoot himself.

He won't shoot himself!

No, he won't shoot himself! He won't shoot himself!

Enough, Lebedev!

lf the prince study, under the table,

is my bag, Colia will show you, here's the key.

But on condition that tomorrow you'll give me back my pistol. Do you hear?

Take the pistol, but tomorrow you'll give me it back.

l do it for the prince, not for you. Do you hear?

That's what he's been after, they should hold his hands,

that's what he read his confession for.

-What wretches they all are! - Leave them. You're very weak.

- Hippolyte, Hippolyte, what is the matter with you? - Enough.

Goodbye, prince.

- Oh God! - Hippolyte!

Well, what is this?

- Good heavens! -Ah? What?

- Did it miss fire?

Perhaps it was not loaded?

lt was loaded! But...

Can it have missed fire?

There was no cap in it.

l swear!

l swear, l had forgotten to put the cap on the pistol.

l had forgotten to put it.

l was afraid of it would have shot in the pocket. Do you understand? Shot in the pocket.

The caps? All the caps here, a dozen of them, in the waist coat pocket.

Do you understand? Really.

l had counted on always having time to put a cap in.

l had forgotten it. Do you understand? l had forgotten it.

Keller, give me the pistol back!

The faint.

Go for a doctor.

Keep up the head.

- Careful! - Let's go upstairs.

This way.

- Goodbye, prince. - See you, prince.

- See you. - See you.

Gentlemen, if any one of you ever once insinuates in my presence

the cap was forgotten intentionally,

and the unhappy young man was acting a farce,

he'll will have to deal with me.

You wanted to speak to me when the others had gone, didn't you?

Just so.

You see, prince,

for once in my life, l want to do something absolutely honest

without any ulterior motive,

l think at this moment

l'm not quite capable of doing anything perfectly honest

and you

too perhaps.

By the way,

are you going to the patient now

Yes.

- l'm afraid... - Don't be afraid..

He'll live another six weeks,

and he may even get well here.

But the best thing you can do is to get rid of him tomorrow.

Perhaps l really

did egg him on by

not saying anything.

he may have thought l didn't believe he would shoot himself?

l've heard tell of such things, but l've never seen

a man shoot himself on purpose to win applause,

or from spite, because he was not applauded for it.

And, what's more,

l wouldn't have believed in such on open exhibition of feebleness!

You'd better get rid of him.

This gentleman is capable of murdering a dozen people

simply as he read in his explanation.

Those words of his won't let me sleep now.

You are

too anxious perhaps.

You don't believe he's capable of killing a dozen persons now?

l'm afraid to answer you. lt's all very strange; but...

As you like!

As you like!

But don't you be one of the dozen

He won't kill anyone.

Goodbye, prince.

Did you notice he bequeathed a copy of his explanation

to Aglaya lvanovna?

Yes, l did.

l'm thinking about it.

That's right.

ln case of the dozen.

Oh! There is he.

They've looking of you all day with messengers,

and you're here and l can't just imagine!

But l thought you're with uncle.

The whip is needed here.

Do you like this view, prince?

You like this.

but you can't formulate it as yet.

What was tourted me?

What was tourted me, l was utterly

outside all this.

What was this feast?

What was this grand everlasting pageant

to which there was no end

to which l had always,

from my childhood,

and which l could never take part.

Every morning the same bright sun rises.

Every morning the same rainbow in the waterfall.

every evening that highest snow mountain glows

with a flush of purple

against the distant sky.

Every little fly

that buzzes about me in the hot sunshine

has its part in the chorus;

knows its place, loves it and is happy.

Every grass grows and is happy!

Everything has its path, and everything knows its path,

with a song goes forth, and with a song returns.

Only l know nothing,

understand nothing, neither men, nor sounds,

l'm outside it all,

And an outcast.

lt's you!

Oh, yes! We were going to meet.

l've been asleep here.

So l see.

Did no one wake me, but you?

Has no one been here but you?

l thought there was another woman.

Another woman's been here?

lt was only a dream.

Strange at such a moment

to have such a dream.

Oh, sit down.

Sit down.

Oh, yes! Hippolyte lppolit shot himself.

How? When?

He was alive only yesterday evening, wasn't he?

How could you sleep after such a thing?

But he's not dead, the pistol didn't go off.

l think that his pistol was bound not to go off

it's just like for him.

But you're sure that he really meant to shoot himself, and that there was no deception about it?

There was no deception about it

He asked me, to to bring you his confession.

- Confession? -Yes.

How? Why didn't you bring it?

Why, he's not dead.

l'll ask him for it.

And there is no need to ask him, be sure to bring it.

certainly be delighted, for perhaps it was with that object he shot at

that l might read his confession afterwards

Yes, that may very likely be partly the reason.

Only he certainly wanted every one to come round him

and tell him that they loved him,

and beg him

to remain alive.

lt may very well be that he had you in his mind more than anyone.

l think it's very horrid on your part.

lt's very brutal to look on and judge Hippolyte's soul,

as you judge.

You have no tenderness,

nothing but truth,

and so you judge unjustly.

But l wouldn't have fallen asleep in your place.

What woman was it you were dreaming about?

lt was...

You've seen her.

l understand.

You think a lot...

How did you dream of her,

what was she doing?

However, l don't care to know.

l... Don't interrupt me.

l asked you to come for;

l want to make a proposition that you should be my friend.

Why are you starring of me?

Perhaps you don't care to accept my proposition?

Oh... l should like to, only

lt was quite unnecessary.

That's, l shouldn't have thought you need make such

a proposition.

What did you think then?

What's in your mind?

But perhaps you look on me as a little fool,

as they all do at home?

l didn't know that they look on you as a fool.

All... l don't look on you so.

You don't look on me so?

Very clever on your part.

Particularly cleverly expressed.

You're speaking

of my uncertainty about Hippolyte.

There's nothing by truth in it, and so it's unjust.

l'll rememberthat and think it over.

Listen,

l've been waiting for a long time, to tell you all about it,

ever since

you wrote me the letter.

l consider you the most honest

and truthful of men,

more honest and more truthful than anyone.

lf they say that you're mind,

that you're sometimes afflicted in your mind,

it's unjust.

For there are two sorts of minds,

one that matters, and one that doesn't matter.

ls that so? That is so, isn't it?

Perhaps it is.

l was sure you would understand.

But let me tell you what matters most.

l refused Evgenie Pavlovitch

because l don't want

to be continually being married!

l want...

Well, l want...

l want to run away from home.

l've chosen you to help me.

Run away from home?

Yes, yes, yes! Run away from home

To you l want to tell everything, as l can to myself,

even the most important thing.

And you must hide nothing from me on your side.

l want to be bold, and not to be afraid of anything.

l don't want to go to their balls.

l want to be of use.

l've been wanting to get anyway for a long time.

For twenty years l've been bottled up at home, and they keep trying to marry me.

l propose to take up teaching.

And l've been reckoning on you

because you said you were fond of children.

Couldn't we go in for education together.

We should be doing good together,

l don't want to be a general's daughter.

Tell me, are you a very learned person?

Oh... Not at all.

That's a pity.

But l thought...

How was it l thought so?

You'll be my guide all the same because l have chosen you.

That's absurd, Aglaya lvanovna.

l want to run away from home!

lf you won't consent, l'll marry Gavril Arrfalionovitch.

You've always lived at home, Aglaya lvanovna.

l mean, did you never go to school or study

at an institute?

l've never been anywhere.

l've always sat at home, as though l were corked up in a bottle,

and l'm to be married straight out of the bottle.

-Why are you laughing? - No.

l'm certain you came here fully persuaded

that l'm in love with you, and was making a marriage trust with you.

l certainly was afraid of that yesterday.

But l am convinced today that you...

What!

You dared to imagine...

You suspected perhaps l invited you here to ensnare you?

Ah... Aglaya lvanovna...

-Aren't you ashamed? - l'm not ashamed at all.

How dared you send me a love letter?

A love letter? My letter - a love letter?

Yes, my letter.

That letter was most respectful,

that letter was me outpouring of my heart

at the bitterest moment of my life!

l thought of you then as of some light.

Oh, very well, very well. Sit down.

Forgive me, if l offended you.

Sometimes l'm afraid of what l'm going to say, then at once l say it.

Turn away, please, and don't look straight at me.

You said just now that you wrote that letter

at the most painful moment of your life.

l know what moment it was.

Oh, if you could know everything!

l do know everything!

You'd been living for a whole month

in the same flat with that horrid woman,

with whom you ran away.

l don't love you at all.

l love Gavrila Ardalionovitch.

That's not true.

That's true

l gave him my word the day before yesterday, on this very seat.

That's not true.

You've invented all that.

You're wonderfully polite.

He burnt his hand before my eyes

to show me he loved me more than his life.

Burnt his hand?

Yes, his hand. You may believe or not - l don't care.

Why, did he bring a candle with him, if he did it here?

Yes, he did. What is there unlikely about it?

A whole one, in a candlestick?

Yes.

Half a candle.

A whole one. lt doesn't matter.

l saw him yesterday, his fingers were all right.

His fingers were all right.

You're very unjust to me, Aglaya,

and to that unhappy woman of whom

you spoke so horribly, Aglaya.

lt's because l know all about it,

that's why l spoke like that.

For her sake you came here,

Wasn't it?

Yes, for her sake.

l don't believe in her being happy with Rogozhin.

l don't know what l could do for her here,

or how l could help her, but l came.

lf you came, not knowing why, then

you love her very much.

No,

no,

l don't love her.

Tell me all.

There's nothing in it

you might not hear about.

why l wanted to tell you all about it.

Perhaps because l really did love you very much.

That unhappy woman.

she is crying every minute in her frenzy that she doesn't admit going

she was the victim of others, the victim of a depraved and wicked.

But whatever she may say to you,

believe me, she's the first to disbelieve it.

And to believe with her whole conscience

that she's to blame.

When l tried to dispel that gloomy delusion,

it threw her into such misery

that my heart will always ache.

She ran away from me. Do you know what for?

Simply to show me that she was a degraded creature.

But the most awful thing because she had

an irresistible inner craving for to do something shameful,

so as to say, to herself at once.

''There, you've done something shameful again, so you're a degraded creature!

Perhaps yon won't understand this, Aglaya.

Do you know that in that

continual consciousness of shame

there is perhaps a sort of awful,

unnatural enjoyment for her,

a sort of revenge on someone.

You saw her yesterday.

Do you think she's happy with that company?

Did you ever then

preach her such ... sermons?

No.

No, l hardly ever spoke.

l loved her.

l loved her very much, but afterwards,

afterwards she guessed it all.

What did she guess?

That l only pitied her,

that l don't love her anymore.

And do you know

she writes letters to me

almost every day?

- Than it's true! -Yes, it's true!

And do you know, what she writes to me in these letters?

l shouldn't be surprised at anything.

She's insane.

Here are the letters.

She's been beseeching me

to marry you.

She writes that you love me.

That you used to talk about me then.

That only l can make you happy.

That she tries every day

to get a chance of seeing me eves in the distance.

She writes so wildly, so strangely.

l haven't shown her letters to anyone, l've been waiting for you.

Do you know

what this means?

lt's madness, a proof of her insanity.

You're not crying now, are you?

No, Aglaya, l'm not crying.

What am l to do about it?

l can't go on getting these letters.

Oh, leave her alone, l'll do all l can to prevent

her writing to you.

Then you're a man of no heart!

How can you have noticed everything in her

and not have seen that.

She loves you, only you.

What these letters mean?

lt's jealousy,

it's more than jealousy!

She'd kill herself the day after our wedding!

God knows,

that to make her l would give up my life, Aglaya.

l can't love her now, and she knows it.

Then sacrifice yourself, it's just in your line.

You're such a charitable person.

No, l can't sacrifice myself like that.

But l know with me she'll be lost,

we'll both come to ruin.

We did talk about you then.

But that's abnormal here,

thats everything here is abnormal.

How?

You could talk to her about me?

So that's true?

So.

How could you tell me -Aglaya.

Recently you told me -Aglaya.

And how could you care for me,

When you had only seen me at once?

l don't know. l don't know.

ln my darkness then l dreamed l had a new dawn.

l don't know how l thought of you.

All that from the horror then.

l shouldn't have come here for three years.

Then you've come for her sake?

Yes, for her sake.

lf you believe,

that that...

your woman

is insane,

l've nothing to do with her instane fancies.

l beg you, Lef Nicolaievitch,

to take these three letters

and fling them back to her from me.

And if she

dares write me a single line again,

l'll complain to my father,

and have her put into a Hose of Correction.

You can't think like that.

lt's not true.

lt's the truth! lt's the truth!

What's the truth? What truth?

lt's the truth,

that l love Gavrila Ardalionovitch

l'm going to run away from home with him tomorrow.

Are you glad?

ls your curiosity satisfied?

No, my friend, please, don't you go away.

You'll be so good as to give me an explanation.

What have l done to be so worried?

l've been awake all night as it is.

Don't imagine, my good friend,

that l brought you here to cross-examine you.

After what happened yesterday

l might well not have been anxious

to see you for some time.

But you would very much like to know

how l came to meet Aglaya lvanovna this morning?

Well, l did want to!

l'm not afraid of speaking plainly.

To be sure, you're her mother.

Aglaya lvanovna let me know by note yesterday

that she wanted to talk of an important matter.

We met and had been talking for a whole hour

of matters that only concerned Aglaya lvanovna.

That's all.

That's all.

Of course it's all, my good sir,

and without a shadow of doubt.

Capital, prince!

l thank you with all my heart for not believing that

l would condescend to lie about it.

ls that enough, maman, or do you intend to cross-examine him further?

l have never yet had to blush for anything before you.

Though you would perhaps be glad if l had.

Goodbye, prince, forgive me for having troubled you.

l hope you will remain convinced

of my unchanged respect for you.

The prince made such magnificent bows, sometimes he's so clumsy,

But he was suddenly like Evgenie Pavlovitch.

Delicacy and dignity are taught by the heart

and not by the dancing-master.

- Oh, good morning, Vera. - Good morning, prince.

You didn't sleep today.

Your eyes are so nice at this moment.

They look happy.

Do they really?

Well, what an adventure! What do you think of Hippolyte now?

- Have you no respect for him? -Why not?

Colia, l'm tired.

- How is he, though? - He's asleep.

He's asleep and won't wake up for another two hours.

Burdovsky, Keller, Ferdishenko and l slept in Lebedef's part of hose.

l was surprised at the general, about 7 am I met him.

''How is the invalid? How's he?''

- Oh, thanks. - l reported.

''That's all right'', he said, ''but really l got up for was to warn you.

l've reasons for supposing that one can't say everything before Mr.Ferdishenko

and one must be on one's guard.

Do you understand, prince?

Really?

But it dosen't matter for us.

We are not masons!

So l felt surprised at the general's getting up on purpose in the night.

Well, l'm off!

Only do you know,

l'm amazed at his confession.

There's a gigantic thought in it.

Here are the letters.

She's been beseeching me

to marry you.

Only for a moment, much honoured prince,

On a matter of great consequence to me.

Why are you so dignified, Lebedev?

l've countered a serve calamity, respected prince,

last night or this morning at daybreak;

l hesitate to determine the precise hour.

What is it?

l've lost four hundred roubles from my coat-pocket,

much honoured prince.

-You've lost four hundred roubles? -Yes.

- How did it happen? - The fruits of drinking.

When Keller came in late and announced your birthday,

l was already in an over-elevated condition,

and in expectation of congratulating you,

by going to change my old house-coat

on the uniform.

Changing my attrie, l forgot my pocket-book in the coat-pocket.

So true it is that when God will chastise, a man,

He first of all deprives him of his reason.

And only this morning, on waking up, l snatched first thing at my coat.

The pocket was empty.

The pocket-book had vanished!

That's unpleasant!

Unpleasant indeed.

And with true tact you have at once found the right word for it.

Ach, don't go on, Lukian Timofeyovitch.

Do you think you could have dropped it out of your pocket when you were drunk?'

l might have.

Anything may happen when one is drunk

as you so sincerely express it, much honoured prince.

But l beg you to consider.

lf l had dropped the pocket-book out of my pocket

when l changed my coat,

dropped thing

would have been on the floor.

Where's that thing?

Then someone must have found it on the floor?

Or pick it out of my pocket!

- Two alternatives. - This distress me very much.

So, that's...

For who? Yes? That's the question.

you find the very word,

and you define the position, most illustrious prince.

Enough, Lebedef. So why?

Give over scoffing, this...

Scoffing!

Well, don't be angry.

l'm afraid for people.

Whom you suspect?

A most difficult and complicated question!

The servant l can't suspect, she was sitting in the kitchen.

- Nor my own children either. - l should think not.

One of the visitors then.

But is that possible?

ln the highest degree impossible, but so it must be.

Counting me, there were four of us

in two adjoining rooms:

the general, Keller,

Mr.Ferdishenko, and l.

So it must have been one of us four!

But you'll admit, prince,

that l could hardly have robbed myself,

though such cases do happen.

Lebedyef, how wearisome this is!

Come to the point. Why do you drag it out?

So that leaves three.

And first, Mr. Keller,

an unsteady, drunken fellow,

and in certain respects liberal, that is, as regards the pocket,

You suspect him?

l did suspect him.

When at eight o'clock l jumped up like a madman

l at once waked the general,

who was sleeping the sleep of innocence.

Taking into consideration the strange disappearance of Ferdishenko,

which of itself had aroused our suspicions,

we both resolved to search Keller,

who was lying sleeping like a top.

We couldn't find one pocket without a hole in it.

A handkerchief in a disgusting condition and some bits of the article you heard.

The general decided that he was innoncent.

lt was not he!

Well, l'm glad!

l was so afraid for him!

You're were afraid?

Then you had some grounds for it?

No, no, l meant nothing.

Well...

Then it must have been Ferdishenko?

That's, l mean you suspect Ferdishenko?

-Who else? -Who else is there?

l mean again. What evidence is there?

There is evidence.

First his disappearance at seven o'clock.

What is there? And is that all your evidence?

lt's not much.

But prince...

The complete impossibility of suspecting anybody

but Mr.Ferdishenko,

is, so to say, not evidence

against Mr.Ferdishenko.

Nor the general!

What folly!

Folly!

The general was

even more struck than when l waked him up.

His face changed,

he turned red and pale,

and at last flew into violent and righteous indignation beyond anything

l should have suspected of him.

His arms and legs were trembling, he was quite pale.

He's a man of feeling!

He's quite given up visiting his captain's widow now,

though he secretly longs for her.

He's got no money.

That's the trouble,

and there's no going to her without.

Now he's insisting on coming to Petersburg with me.

l'm going to Petersburg to find Mr.Ferdishenko

while the tracks are fresh, for l know, he's there by now.

My general is all eagerness,

but l suspect he'll give me the slip in Petersburg

to visit his widow.

l'm letting him go on purpose,

and then fall of him of a sudden, like snow on the head

At the widow.

So,

just to put him to shame, as a family man.

And as a man indeed.

Lebedef, only don't make a disturbance,

for goodness' sake

l'm not asserting that he...

l am ready to shed my last drop of blood,

so to speak, at this moment.

Though,

his incontinence, and drunkenness, and the captain's widow,

and all that, taken together, may lead him to anything.

ln one word you say yourself you suspect Mr. Ferdishenko.

Why, who else? Who else, true-hearted prince?

Lukian Timofeyovitch, a mistake here would be

a dreadful thing.

l should not like to speak

ill of him, but Ferdishenko...

l was told about him,

he was a man before whom one must be careful.

Understand? And not to say anything.

Do you understand?

l say this to show that perhaps he really is more capable of it than anyone else.

So as not to make a mistake.

That's the great thing. Do you understand?

Who told you that

about Mr.Ferdishenko?

Oh, it was whispered to me.

l don't believe it myself. lt's some nonsense.

Lebedef.

How stupid l've been!

Oh God! How stupid l've been, Lebedef!

You see, prince,

just now the general began dropping the same hint to me

About Mr.Ferdishenko,

but so strangely and incoherently,

l was fully convinced, all the whole thing was

solely an inspiration of his excellency's

Now, kindly consider this, if he told a lie, and l'm sure he did,

How could you have heard of it?

lt was the inspiration of the moment.

So who could have told you?

That's important, that. That's very important.

Colia told me it just now,

and he was told

by the general, whom he met at six o'clock

Well.

That's what's called a clue.

Just as l thought!

That means

his excellency

waked from his sleep of innocence at six o'clock

to go and wake his darling son

and warn him of the great danger of associating

With Mr.Ferdishenko.

What a dangerous man Mr.Ferdishenko must be,

and what parental solicitude the part

of his excellency!

Lebedef, l beg you.

Lebedef, l'll help you!

Keep quiet about it! Do you hear?

Don't make an uproar!

l beg you, Lebedef, but on condition that nobody knows!

Nobody knows!

Rest assured, most noble-hearted,

most sincere and generous prince!

That all this will be buried in my loyal heart.

Treading softly!

Treading softly!

When, you open this letter,

you'll look first of all at the signature.

The signature will tell you all, and explain all.

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