Page 120 - the-brothers-karamazov
P. 120

else  he’d  come  at  once.  And  you  shall  go,  Pyotr  Alexan-
       drovitch, pray go to the Father Superior and good appetite
       to you. I will decline, and not you. Home, home, I’ll eat at
       home, I don’t feel equal to it here, Pyotr Alexandrovitch, my
       amiable relative.’
         ‘I  am  not  your  relative  and  never  have  been,  you  con-
       temptible man!’
         ‘I said it on purpose to madden you, because you always
       disclaim the relationship, though you really are a relation
       in spite of your shuffling. I’ll prove it by the church calen-
       dar. As for you, Ivan, stay if you like. I’ll send the horses for
       you later. Propriety requires you to go to the Father Supe-
       rior, Pyotr Alexandrovitch, to apologise for the disturbance
       we’ve been making...’
         ‘Is it true that you are going home? Aren’t you lying?’
         ‘Pyotr  Alexandrovitch!  How  could  I  dare  after  what’s
       happened! Forgive me, gentlemen, I was carried away! And
       upset besides! And, indeed, I am ashamed. Gentlemen, one
       man has the heart of Alexander of Macedon and another
       the heart of the little dog Fido. Mine is that of the little dog
       Fido. I am ashamed! After such an escapade how can I go to
       dinner, to gobble up the monastery’s sauces? I am ashamed,
       I can’t. You must excuse me!’
         ‘The devil only knows, what if he deceives us?’ thought
       Miusov,  still  hesitating,  and  watching  the  retreating  buf-
       foon  with  distrustful  eyes.  The  latter  turned  round,  and
       noticing that Miusov was watching him, waved him a kiss.
         ‘Well,  are  you  coming  to  the  Superior?’  Miusov  asked
       Ivan abruptly.

                                                     11
   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125