down and look through some papers and sign them, and then I must go and see his excellency the count, and then to my office at the department, and so as a result I’m glad to see people ... good people, that is ... but ... As a matter of fact, I’m so convinced that you’re someone of very good breeding that ... How old are you, Prince?’
‘Twenty-six.’
‘Oh! And I thought much less.’
‘Yes, they say I have a young-looking face. But I shall soon learn not to be a nuisance to you, as I really don’t like to be a nuisance... And also, I think, we are very different ... in many ways, and cannot perhaps have many points in common, but you know, I don’t place much faith in that last idea, for it very often merely seems that there are no points in common, while in reality there are lots ... it’s because people are lazy that they sort themselves into categories, and therefore can’t find anything ... But perhaps I’ve begun to bore you? You seem ...’
‘I’ll be quite brief, sir: do you have private means of any kind? Or do you intend to take up some kind of occupation? Forgive me for ...’
‘Oh good heavens, I greatly appreciate your question and understand it perfectly. At present I have no private means, and no occupation, also at present, but I need one, sir. The money I’ve had so far has been someone else’s, Schneider, my professor, who treated me and taught me in Switzerland, gave me it for the journey, and it was only just enough, so that now, you see, I’ve only a few copecks left. It’s true that I do have some business, and I’m in need of advice, but...’
‘Tell me, what do you intend to live on at present, and what are your plans?’ the general interrupted.
‘I should like to do some kind of work.’
‘Oh, and you’re a philosopher, too; however ... have you any talents, abilities, of a sort by which one may earn one’s daily bread? Forgive me again ...’
‘Oh, don’t apologize. No, sir, I’m afraid I have neither talents nor special abilities; the contrary, even, for I’m an invalid and did not receive a proper education. As for bread, I think that ...’
Again the general interrupted, and again he began to ask questions. Once more the prince told him what has already been told. It transpired that the general had heard of the late Pavlishchev, and had even known him personally. Why Pavlishchev had taken an interest in his education the prince himself could not explain - but perhaps it was simply because of his old friendship with the prince’s late father. The prince’s parents had died when he was still a young child; he had spent all his life in villages of one kind or another and had grown up there, as his health required country air. Pavlishchev had entrusted him to some elderly female landowners, kinsfolk of his; first a governess had been hired for him, then a tutor; he declared, however, that although he remembered it all, there was not much he could satisfactorily explain, as there were many things he had not been aware of. The frequent attacks of his illness had made of him almost a complete idiot (the prince actually used the word ‘idiot’). He said, at last, that in Berlin one day Pavlishchev had met Professor Schneider, who specialized in precisely this form of illness and had a clinic in the Swiss canton of Valais, where he gave treatment that combined a cold-water method with gymnastics, for the cure of idiotism and insanity, while at the same time providing education and seeing to his patients’ spiritual development; that Pavlishchev had sent him to Schneider in Switzerland some five years earlier and had died two years ago, suddenly, without having made any arrangements: that Schneider had supported him and continued his treatment for about another two years; that he had not cured him, but had helped him greatly; and that finally, at the prince’s own request and because of a certain circumstance that had arisen, he had now sent him back to
‘Twenty-six.’
‘Oh! And I thought much less.’
‘Yes, they say I have a young-looking face. But I shall soon learn not to be a nuisance to you, as I really don’t like to be a nuisance... And also, I think, we are very different ... in many ways, and cannot perhaps have many points in common, but you know, I don’t place much faith in that last idea, for it very often merely seems that there are no points in common, while in reality there are lots ... it’s because people are lazy that they sort themselves into categories, and therefore can’t find anything ... But perhaps I’ve begun to bore you? You seem ...’
‘I’ll be quite brief, sir: do you have private means of any kind? Or do you intend to take up some kind of occupation? Forgive me for ...’
‘Oh good heavens, I greatly appreciate your question and understand it perfectly. At present I have no private means, and no occupation, also at present, but I need one, sir. The money I’ve had so far has been someone else’s, Schneider, my professor, who treated me and taught me in Switzerland, gave me it for the journey, and it was only just enough, so that now, you see, I’ve only a few copecks left. It’s true that I do have some business, and I’m in need of advice, but...’
‘Tell me, what do you intend to live on at present, and what are your plans?’ the general interrupted.
‘I should like to do some kind of work.’
‘Oh, and you’re a philosopher, too; however ... have you any talents, abilities, of a sort by which one may earn one’s daily bread? Forgive me again ...’
‘Oh, don’t apologize. No, sir, I’m afraid I have neither talents nor special abilities; the contrary, even, for I’m an invalid and did not receive a proper education. As for bread, I think that ...’
Again the general interrupted, and again he began to ask questions. Once more the prince told him what has already been told. It transpired that the general had heard of the late Pavlishchev, and had even known him personally. Why Pavlishchev had taken an interest in his education the prince himself could not explain - but perhaps it was simply because of his old friendship with the prince’s late father. The prince’s parents had died when he was still a young child; he had spent all his life in villages of one kind or another and had grown up there, as his health required country air. Pavlishchev had entrusted him to some elderly female landowners, kinsfolk of his; first a governess had been hired for him, then a tutor; he declared, however, that although he remembered it all, there was not much he could satisfactorily explain, as there were many things he had not been aware of. The frequent attacks of his illness had made of him almost a complete idiot (the prince actually used the word ‘idiot’). He said, at last, that in Berlin one day Pavlishchev had met Professor Schneider, who specialized in precisely this form of illness and had a clinic in the Swiss canton of Valais, where he gave treatment that combined a cold-water method with gymnastics, for the cure of idiotism and insanity, while at the same time providing education and seeing to his patients’ spiritual development; that Pavlishchev had sent him to Schneider in Switzerland some five years earlier and had died two years ago, suddenly, without having made any arrangements: that Schneider had supported him and continued his treatment for about another two years; that he had not cured him, but had helped him greatly; and that finally, at the prince’s own request and because of a certain circumstance that had arisen, he had now sent him back to
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