“Listen, and tell the truth, Lebyadkin. Have you betrayed anything yet, or not? Have you succeeded in doing anything really? Have you sent a letter to somebody in your foolishness?”
“No, I haven’t … and I haven’t thought of doing it,” said the captain, looking fixedly at him.
“That’s a lie, that you haven’t thought of doing it. That’s what you’re asking to go to Petersburg for. If you haven’t written, have you blabbed to anybody here? Speak the truth. I’ve heard something.”
“When I was drunk, to Liputin. Liputin’s a traitor. I opened my heart to him,” whispered the poor captain.
“That’s all very well, but there’s no need to be an a*s. If you had an idea you should have kept it to yourself. Sensible people hold their tongues nowadays; they don’t go chattering.”
“Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch
