"You're out of your mind!" Ptitsyn suddenly whispered, going up to him quickly and seizing him by the arm. "You're drunk, they'll send for the police.
Do you know where you are?"
"Drunken lies," Nastasya Filippovna said, as if taunting him.
"I'm not lying, I'll have it!
By evening I'll have it.
Ptitsyn, help me out, you percentage soul, charge whatever you like, get me a hundred thousand by evening: I tell you, I won't stint!" Rogozhin's animation suddenly reached ecstasy.
"What is all this, however?" Ardalion Alexandrovich exclaimed unexpectedly and menacingly, getting angry and approaching Rogozhin.
The unexpectedness of the hitherto silent old man's outburst made it very comical.
Laughter was heard.
"Where did this one come from?" Rogozhin laughed. "Come with us, old man, you'll get good and drunk!"
"That's mean!" cried Kolya, all in tears from shame and vexation.
"Isn't there at least someone among you who will take this shameless woman out of here?" Varya suddenly cried out, trembling with wrath.
"It's me they call shameless!" Nastasya Filippovna retorted with scornful gaiety. "And here I came like a fool to invite them to my party!
This is how your dear sister treats me, Gavrila Ardalionovich!"
For a short while Ganya stood as if thunderstruck by his sister's outburst; but seeing that Nastasya Filippovna was really leaving this time, he fell upon Varya like a man beside himself and furiously seized her by the hand.
"What have you done?" he cried out, looking at her as if he wished to reduce her to ashes on the spot.
He was decidedly lost and not thinking well.
"What have I done?
Where are you dragging me?
Not to ask her forgiveness for having insulted your mother and come to disgrace your home, you low man!" Varya cried again, triumphant, and looking defiantly at her brother.
For a few moments they stood facing each other like that.
Ganya was still holding her hand in his.
Varya pulled it once or twice with all her might, but could no longer hold back and suddenly, beside herself, spat in her brother's face.
"That's the girl!" cried Nastasya Filippovna.
"Bravo, Ptitsyn, I congratulate you!"
Ganya's eyes went dim and, forgetting himself entirely, he swung at his sister with all his might.
The blow would certainly have landed on her face.
But suddenly another hand stopped his arm in midair.
The prince stepped between him and his sister.
"Enough, no more of that!" he said insistently, but also trembling all over, as if from an extremely strong shock.
"What, are you always going to stand in my way!" Ganya bellowed, dropping Varya's hand, and, having freed his arm, in the utmost degree of rage, he swung roundly and slapped the prince in the face.
"Ah!" Kolya clasped his hands, "ah, my God!"
There were exclamations on all sides.
The prince turned pale.
With a strange and reproachful gaze, he looked straight into Ganya's eyes; his lips trembled and attempted to say something; they were twisted by a strange and completely inappropriate smile.
"Well, let that be for me . . . but her ... I still won't let you! . . ." he said quietly at last; but suddenly unable to control himself, he left Ganya, covered his face with his hands, went to the corner, stood facing the wall, and said in a faltering voice:
"Oh, how ashamed you'll be of what you've done!"
Ganya indeed stood as if annihilated.
Kolya rushed to the prince and began embracing him and kissing him; after him crowded Rogozhin, Varya, Ptitsyn, Nina Alexandrovna, everyone, even old Ardalion Alexandrovich.
"Never mind, never mind!" the prince murmured in all directions, with the same inappropriate smile.
"He'll be sorry!" shouted Rogozhin. "You'll be ashamed, Ganka, to have offended such a . . . sheep!" (He was unable to find any other word.)
"Prince, my dear soul, drop them all, spit on them, and let's go!
You'll learn how Rogozhin loves!"
Nastasya Filippovna was also very struck both by Ganya's act and by the prince's response.
Her usually pale and pensive face, which all this while had been so out of harmony with her affected laughter, was now visibly animated by a new feeling; and yet she still seemed unwilling to show it, and the mockery remained as if forcedly on her face.
"Really, I've seen his face somewhere!" she said unexpectedly, seriously now, suddenly remembering her question earlier.
"And you're not even ashamed!
You can't be the way you pretended to be just now.
It's not possible!" the prince suddenly cried out in deeply felt reproach.
Nastasya Filippovna was surprised, smiled, but, as if keeping something behind her smile, slightly embarrassed, she glanced at Ganya and left the drawing room.