It is more than possible that Varvara
Ardalionovna is right."

"Ah! now you begin to moralize! I know that I am only a child, very
well," replied Gania impatiently. "That is proved by my having this
conversation with you. It is not for money only, prince, that I am
rushing into this affair," he continued, hardly master of his words,
so closely had his vanity been touched. "If I reckoned on that I should
certainly be deceived, for I am still too weak in mind and character.
I am obeying a passion, an impulse perhaps, because I have but one aim,
one that overmasters all else. You imagine that once I am in possession
of these seventy-five thousand roubles, I shall rush to buy a
carriage... No, I shall go on wearing the old overcoat I have worn for
three years, and I shall give up my club. I shall follow the example of
men who have made their fortunes. When Ptitsin was seventeen he slept
in the street, he sold pen-knives, and began with a copeck; now he has
sixty thousand roubles, but to get them, what has he not done? Well,
I shall be spared such a hard beginning, and shall start with a little
capital. In fifteen years people will say, 'Look, that's Ivolgin, the
king of the Jews!' You say that I have no originality. Now mark this,
prince--there is nothing so offensive to a man of our time and race
than to be told that he is wanting in originality, that he is weak
in character, has no particular talent, and is, in short, an ordinary
person. You have not even done me the honour of looking upon me as a
rogue. Do you know, I could have knocked you down for that just now! You
wounded me more cruelly than Epanchin, who thinks me capable of selling
him my wife! Observe, it was a perfectly gratuitous idea on his part,
seeing there has never been any discussion of it between us! This has
exasperated me, and I am determined to make a fortune! I will do it!
Once I am rich, I shall be a genius, an extremely original man. One of
the vilest and most hateful things connected with money is that it can
buy even talent; and will do so as long as the world lasts. You will say
that this is childish--or romantic. Well, that will be all the better
for me, but the thing shall be done. I will carry it through. He laughs
most, who laughs last. Why does Epanchin insult me? Simply because,
socially, I am a nobody. However, enough for the present. Colia has put
his nose in to tell us dinner is ready, twice. I'm dining out. I shall
come and talk to you