Even a louse may be in love, and is not forbidden by law.
And yet the lady was offended by the letter and the verses.
I'm told that even you were angry. Were you? I wouldn't believe in anything so grievous.
Whom could I harm simply by imagination?
Besides, I swear on my honour, Liputin kept saying,
'Send it, send it,' every man, however humble, has a right to send a letter! And so I sent it."
"You offered yourself as a suitor, I understand."
"Enemies, enemies, enemies!"
"Repeat the verses," said Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch sternly.
"Ravings, ravings, more than anything."
However, he drew himself up, stretched out his hand, and began:
"With broken limbs my beauteous queen Is twice as charming as before, And, deep in love as I have been, To-day I love her even more."
"Come, that's enough," said Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch, a wave of his hand.
"I dream of Petersburg," cried Lebyadkin, passing quickly to another subject, as though there had been no mention of verses. "I dream of regeneration.... Benefactor!
May I reckon that you won't refuse the means for the journey?
I've been waiting for you all the week as my sunshine."
"I'll do nothing of the sort. I've scarcely any money left. And why should I give you money?"
Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch seemed suddenly angry.
Dryly and briefly he recapitulated all the captain's misdeeds; his drunkenness, his lying, his squandering of the money meant for Marya Timofyevna, his having taken her from the nunnery, his insolent letters threatening to publish the secret, the way he had behaved about Darya Pavlovna, and so on, and so on.
The captain heaved, gesticulated, began to reply, but every time Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch stopped him peremptorily.
"And listen," he observed at last, "you keep writing about 'family disgrace.'
What disgrace is it to you that your sister is the lawful wife of a Stavrogin?"
"But marriage in secret, Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch—a fatal secret.
I receive money from you, and I'm suddenly asked the question, 'What's that money for?'
My hands are tied; I cannot answer to the detriment of my sister, to the detriment of the family honour."
The captain raised his voice. He liked that subject and reckoned boldly upon it.
Alas! he did not realise what a blow was in store for him.
Calmly and exactly, as though he were speaking of the most everyday arrangement, Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch informed him that in a few days, perhaps even to-morrow or the day after, he intended to make his marriage known everywhere, "to the police as well as to local society." And so the question of family honour would be settled once for all, and with it the question of subsidy.
The captain's eyes were ready to drop out of his head; he positively could not take it in. It had to be explained to him.
"But she is... crazy."
"I shall make suitable arrangements."
"But... how about your mother?"
"Well, she must do as she likes."
"But will you take your wife to your house?"
"Perhaps so.
But that is absolutely nothing to do with you and no concern of yours."
"No concern of mine!" cried the captain.
"What about me then?"
"Well, certainly you won't come into my house."
"But, you know, I'm a relation."
"One does one's best to escape from such relations.
Why should I go on giving you money then? Judge for yourself."
"Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch, Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch, this is impossible. You will think better of it, perhaps? You don't want to lay hands upon.... What will people think? What will the world say?"
"Much I care for your world.
I married your sister when the fancy took me, after a drunken dinner, for a bet, and now I'll make it public... since that amuses me now."
He said this with a peculiar irritability, so that Lebyadkin began with horror to believe him.
"But me, me? What about me? I'm what matters most!...
Perhaps you're joking, Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch?"
"No, I'm not joking."
"As you will, Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch, but I don't believe you.... Then I'll take proceedings."