Page 219 - the-brothers-karamazov

Chapter 8

Over the Brandy

HE controversy was over. But, strange to say, Fyodor
TPavlovitch, who had been so gay, suddenly began frown-
ing. He frowned and gulped brandy, and it was already a
glass too much.
‘Get along with you, Jesuits!’ he cried to the servants.
‘Go away, Smerdyakov. I’ll send you the gold piece I prom-
ised you to-day, but be off! Don’t cry, Grigory. Go to Marfa.
She’ll comfort you and put you to bed. The rascals won’t let
us sit in peace after dinner,’ he snapped peevishly, as the
servants promptly withdrew at his word.
‘Smerdyakov always pokes himself in now, after dinner.
It’s you he’s so interested in. What have you done to fasci-
nate him?’ he added to Ivan.
‘Nothing whatever,’ answered Ivan. ‘He’s pleased to have
a high opinion of me; he’s a lackey and a mean soul. Raw
material for revolution, however, when the time comes.’
‘There will be others and better ones. But there will be
some like him as well. His kind will come first, and better
ones after.’
‘And when will the time come?’

1 The Brothers Karamazov