Another Man's Wife Page #12

"Another Man's Wife" is a lesser-known short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky, exploring themes of love, infidelity, and the complexities of human relationships. The narrative revolves around a man who becomes infatuated with another man's wife, delving into the emotional turmoil and moral dilemmas that arise from his desires. Dostoevsky's characteristic psychological depth is evident as he examines the conflict between passion and societal norms, ultimately revealing the profound impacts of jealousy and betrayal on the lives of those involved.

• Novel

								

I believe I am not mistaken, I am addressing a prince...."

"No, I am not a prince, sir, I am an independent gentleman.... Please do
not flatter me with your 'Highness.' How did you get here, sir? How did you
get here?"

"Your Highness, that is, your Excellency.... Excuse me, I thought that you
were your Highness. I looked ... I imagined ... it does happen. You are so
like Prince Korotkouhov whom I have had the honour of meeting at my friend
Mr. Pusyrev's.... You see, I am acquainted with princes, too, I have met
princes, too, at the houses of my friends; you cannot take me for what you
take me for. I am not a thief. Your Excellency, don't call the servants;
what will be the good of it if you do call them?"

"But how did you come here?" cried the lady. "Who are you?"

"Yes, who are you?" the husband chimed in. "And, my love, I thought it was
pussy under the bed sneezing. And it was he. Ah, you vagabond! Who are you?
Tell me!"

And the old gentleman stamped on the carpet again.

"I cannot speak, your Excellency, I am waiting till you are finished, I am
enjoying your witty jokes. As regards me, it is an absurd story, your
Excellency; I will tell you all about it. It can all be explained without
more ado, that is, I mean, don't call the servants, your Excellency! Treat
me in a gentlemanly way.... It means nothing that I was under the bed, I
have not sacrificed my dignity by that. It is a most comical story, your
Excellency!" cried Ivan Andreyitch, addressing the lady with a supplicating
air. "You, particularly, your Excellency, will laugh! You behold upon the
scene a jealous husband. You see, I abase myself, I abase myself of my own
free will. I did indeed kill Amishka, but ... my God, I don't know what I
am saying!"

"But how, how did you get here?"

"Under cover of night, your Excellency, under cover of night.... I beg your
pardon! Forgive me, your Excellency! I humbly beg your pardon! I am only an
injured husband, nothing more! Don't imagine, your Excellency, that I am a
lover! I am not a lover! Your wife is virtue itself, if I may venture so to
express myself. She is pure and innocent!"

"What, what? What did you have the audacity to say?" cried the old
gentleman, stamping his foot again. "Are you out of your mind or not? How
dare you talk about my wife?"

"He is a villain, a murderer who has killed Amishka," wailed the lady,
dissolving into tears. "And then he dares!..."

"Your Excellency, your Excellency! I spoke foolishly," cried Ivan
Andreyitch in a fluster. "I was talking foolishly, that was all! Think of
me as out of my mind.... For goodness' sake, think of me as out of my
mind.... I assure you that you will be doing me the greatest favour. I
would offer you my hand, but I do not venture to.... I was not alone, I was
an uncle.... I mean to say that you cannot take me for the lover....
Goodness! I have put my foot in it again.... Do not be offended, your
Excellency," cried Ivan Andreyitch to the lady. "You are a lady, you
understand what love is, it is a delicate feeling.... But what am I saying?
I am talking nonsense again; that is, I mean to say that I am an old
man--that is, a middle-aged man, not an old man; that I cannot be your
lover; that a lover is a Richardson--that is, a Lovelace.... I am talking
nonsense, but you see, your Excellency, that I am a well-educated man and
know something of literature. You are laughing, your Excellency. I am
delighted, delighted that I have provoked your mirth, your Excellency.
Oh, how delighted I am that I have provoked your mirth."

"My goodness, what a funny man!" cried the lady, exploding with laughter.

"Yes, he is funny, and in such a mess," said the old man, delighted that
his wife was laughing. "He cannot be a thief, my love. But how did he come
here?"

"It really is strange, it really is strange, it is like a novel! Why! At
the dead of night, in a great city, a man under the bed. Strange, funny!
Rinaldo-Rinaldini after a fashion. But that is no matter, no matter, your
Excellency. I will tell you all about it.... And I will buy you a new
lapdog, your Excellency.... A wonderful lapdog! Such a long coat, such
short little legs, it can't walk more than a step or two: it runs a little,
gets entangled in its own coat, and tumbles over. One feeds it on nothing
but sugar. I will bring you one, I will certainly bring you one."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" The lady was rolling from side to side with laughter.
"Oh, dear, I shall have hysterics! Oh, how funny he is!"

"Yes, yes! Ha-ha-ha! Khee-khee-khee! He is funny and he is in a
mess--khee-khee-khee!"

"Your Excellency, your Excellency, I am now perfectly happy. I would offer
you my hand, but I do not venture to, your Excellency. I feel that I have
been in error, but now I am opening my eyes. I am certain my wife is pure
and innocent! I was wrong in suspecting her."

"Wife--his wife!" cried the lady, with tears in her eyes through laughing.

"He married? Impossible! I should never have thought it," said the old
gentleman.

"Your Excellency, my wife--it is all her fault; that is, it is my fault: I
suspected her; I knew that an assignation had been arranged here--here
upstairs; I intercepted a letter, made a mistake about the storey and got
under the bed...."

"He-he-he-he!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Ivan Andreyitch began laughing at last. "Oh, how happy I am!
Oh, how wonderful to see that we are all so happy and harmonious! And my
wife is entirely innocent. That must be so, your Excellency!"

"He-he-he! Khee-khee! Do you know, my love, who it was?" said the old man
at last, recovering from his mirth.

"Who? Ha-ha-ha."

"She must be the pretty woman who makes eyes, the one with the dandy. It's
she, I bet that's his wife!"

"No, your Excellency, I am certain it is not she; I am perfectly certain."

"But, my goodness! You are losing time," cried the lady, leaving off
laughing. "Run, go upstairs. Perhaps you will find them."

"Certainly, your Excellency, I will fly. But I shall not find any one, your
Excellency; it is not she, I am certain of it beforehand. She is at home
now. It is all my fault! It is simply my jealousy, nothing else.... What do
you think? Do you suppose that I shall find them there, your Excellency?"

"Ha-ha-ha!"

"He-he-he! Khee-khee!"

"You must go, you must go! And when you come down, come in and tell us!"
cried the lady; "or better still, to-morrow morning. And do bring her too,
I should like to make her acquaintance."

"Good-bye, your Excellency, good-bye! I will certainly bring her, I shall
								Rate this book:0.0 / 0 votes