was the only guest
left sitting at this time; the others had thronged round the table in
disorder, and were all talking at once.

It was generally agreed, afterwards, in recalling that evening, that
from this moment Nastasia Philipovna seemed entirely to lose her senses.
She continued to sit still in her place, looking around at her guests
with a strange, bewildered expression, as though she were trying to
collect her thoughts, and could not. Then she suddenly turned to the
prince, and glared at him with frowning brows; but this only lasted one
moment. Perhaps it suddenly struck her that all this was a jest, but his
face seemed to reassure her. She reflected, and smiled again, vaguely.

"So I am really a princess," she whispered to herself, ironically,
and glancing accidentally at Daria Alexeyevna's face, she burst out
laughing.

"Ha, ha, ha!" she cried, "this is an unexpected climax, after all. I
didn't expect this. What are you all standing up for, gentlemen? Sit
down; congratulate me and the prince! Ferdishenko, just step out and
order some more champagne, will you? Katia, Pasha," she added suddenly,
seeing the servants at the door, "come here! I'm going to be married,
did you hear? To the prince. He has a million and a half of roubles; he
is Prince Muishkin, and has asked me to marry him. Here, prince, come
and sit by me; and here comes the wine. Now then, ladies and gentlemen,
where are your congratulations?"

"Hurrah!" cried a number of voices. A rush was made for the wine by
Rogojin's followers, though, even among them, there seemed some sort of
realization that the situation had changed. Rogojin stood and looked on,
with an incredulous smile, screwing up one side of his mouth.

"Prince, my dear fellow, do remember what you are about," said the
general, approaching Muishkin, and pulling him by the coat sleeve.

Nastasia Philipovna overheard the remark, and burst out laughing.

"No, no, general!" she cried. "You had better look out! I am the
princess now, you know. The prince won't let you insult me. Afanasy
Ivanovitch, why don't you congratulate me? I shall be able to sit at
table with your new wife, now. Aha! you see what I gain by marrying
a prince! A million and a half, and a prince, and an idiot into the
bargain, they say. What better could I wish for? Life is only just about
to commence for me in earnest. Rogojin, you are a little too late. Away
with your paper parcel! I'm going to marry the prince;