Well,justlisten,prince.Iremainedherelastevening,partlybecauseIhaveagreatadmirationfortheFrencharchbishopBourdaloue.Ienjoyedadiscussionoverhimtillthreeo&39;clockinthemorning,withLebedeff;andthen...then--IswearbyallIholdsacredthatIamtellingyouthetruth--thenIwishedtodevelopmysoulinthisfrankandheartfeltconfessiontoyou.ThiswasmythoughtasIwassobbingmyselftosleepatdawn.JustasIwaslosingconsciousness,tearsinmysoulTheyouthremainedawholeyearwiththethirdmasteralso,andwhenhe,tearsonmyface(IrememberhowIlaytheresobbing),anideafromhellstruckme.&39;Whynot,afterconfessing,borrowmoneyfromhim?&39;Yousee,thisconfessionwasakindofmasterstroke;Iintendedtouseitasameanstoyourgoodgraceandfavour--andthen--thenImeanttowalkoffwithahundredandfiftyroubles.Now,doyounotcallthatbase?"saidtheprinceinreply."Youhaveconfusedyourmotivesandideas,asIneedscarcelysaytoooftenhappenstomyself.Icanassureyou,Keller,Ireproachmyselfbitterlyforitsometimes.WhenyouweretalkingjustnowIseemedtobelisteningtosomethingaboutmyself.AttimesIhaveimaginedthatallmenwerethesame,"hecontinuedearnestly,forheappearedtobemuchinterestedintheconversation,"andthatconsoledmeinacertaindegree,foraDOUBLEmotiveisathingmostdifficulttofightagainst.Ihavetried,andIknow.Godknowswhencetheyarise,theseideasthatyouspeakofasbase.Ifearthesedoublemotivesmorethaneverjustnow,butIamnotyourjudge,andinmyopinionitisgoingtoofartogivethenameofbasenesstoit--whatdoyouthink?Youweregoingtoemployyourtearsasaruseinordertoborrowmoney,butyoualsosay--infact,youhavesworntothefact--thatindependentlyofthisyourconfessionwasmadewithanhonourablemotive.Asforthemoney,youwantitfordrink,doyounot?Afteryourconfession,thatisweakness,ofcourse;but,afterall,howcananyonegiveupabadhabitatamoment&39;snotice?Itisimpossible.Whatcanwedo?Itisbest,Ithink,toleavethemattertoyourownconscience.Howdoesitseemtoyou?"AsheconcludedtheprincelookedcuriouslyatKeller;evidentlythisproblemofdoublemotiveshadoftenbeenconsideredbyhimbefore."Well,howanybodycancallyouanidiotafterthat,ismorethanIcanunderstand!"criedtheboxer.Theprincereddenedslightly."Bourdaloue,thearchbishop,wouldnothavesparedamanlikeme,"Kellercontinued,"butyou,youhavejudgedmewithhumanity.ToshowhowgratefulIam,andasapunishment,Iwillnotacceptahundredandfiftyroubles.Givemetwenty-five--thatwillbeenough;itisallIreallyneed,forafortnightatleast.Iwillnotaskyouformoreforafortnight.IshouldliketohavegivenAgathaapresent,butshedoesnotreallydeserveit.Oh,mydearprince,Godblessyou!"AtthismomentLebedeffappeared,havingjustarrivedfromPetersburg.Hefrownedwhenhesawthetwenty-fiveroublenoteinKeller&39;shand,butthelatter,havinggotthemoney,wentawayatonce.Lebedeffbegantoabusehim."Youareunjust;Ifoundhimsincerelyrepentant,"observedtheprince,afterlisteningforatime."Whatisthegoodofrepentancelikethat?Itisthesameexactlyasmineyesterday,whenIsaid,&39;Iambase,Iambase,&39;--words,andnothingmore!""Thentheywereonlywordsonyourpart?Ithought,onthecontrary..."
