Page 210 - the-brothers-karamazov

Chapter 7

The Controversy

UT Balaam’s ass had suddenly spoken. The subject was a
Bstrange one. Grigory had gone in the morning to make
purchases, and had heard from the shopkeeper Lukyanov
the story of a Russian soldier which had appeared in the
newspaper of that day. This soldier had been taken prisoner
in some remote part of Asia, and was threatened with an
immediate agonising death if he did not renounce Chris-
tianity and follow Islam. He refused to deny his faith, and
was tortured, flayed alive, and died, praising and glorifying
Christ. Grigory had related the story at table. Fyodor Pav-
lovitch always liked, over the dessert after dinner, to laugh
and talk, if only with Grigory. This afternoon he was in a
particularly good-humoured and expansive mood. Sipping
his brandy and listening to the story, he observed that they
ought to make a saint of a soldier like that, and to take his
skin to some monastery. ‘That would make the people flock,
and bring the money in.’
Grigory frowned, seeing that Fyodor Pavlovitch was by
no means touched, but, as usual, was beginning to scoff. At
that moment Smerdyakov, who was standing by the door,

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