Идиот

Chapter 4

           

           “That’simpossible!”saidheinanaggrievedtone.“Iamoftendiscussingsubjectsofthisnaturewithhim,gentlemen,butforthemostparthetalksnonsenseenoughtomakeonedeaf:thisstoryhasnopretenceofbeingtrue.”

           “General,rememberthesiegeofKars!Andyou,gentlemen,Iassureyoumyanecdoteisthenakedtruth.Imayremarkthatreality,althoughitisgovernedbyinvariablelaw,hasattimesaresemblancetofalsehood.Infact,thetruerathingisthelesstrueitsounds.”

           “Butcouldanyonepossiblyeatsixtymonks?”objectedthescoffinglisteners.

           “Itisquiteclearthathedidnoteatthemallatonce,butinaspaceoffifteenortwentyyears:fromthatpointofviewthethingiscomprehensibleandnatural...”

           “Natural?”

           “Andnatural,”repeatedLebedeffwithpedanticobstinacy.“Besides,aCatholicmonkisbynatureexcessivelycurious;itwouldbequiteeasythereforetoenticehimintoawood,orsomesecretplace,onfalsepretences,andtheretodealwithhimassaid.ButIdonotdisputeintheleastthatthenumberofpersonsconsumedappearstodenoteaspiceofgreediness.”

           “Itisperhapstrue,gentlemen,”saidtheprince,quietly.Hehadbeenlisteninginsilenceuptothatmomentwithouttakingpartintheconversation,butlaughingheartilywiththeothersfromtimetotime.Evidentlyhewasdelightedtoseethateverybodywasamused,thateverybodywastalkingatonce,andeventhateverybodywasdrinking.

Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 579 из 965