Page 282 - the-brothers-karamazov

elder, opening his weary eyes and looking intently at Alyo-
sha, asked him suddenly:
‘Are your people expecting you, my son?’
Alyosha hesitated.
‘Haven’t they need of you? Didn’t you promise someone
yesterday to see them to-day?’
‘I did promise — to my father — my brothers — others
too.’
‘You see, you must go. Don’t grieve. Be sure I shall not
die without your being by to hear my last word. To you I
will say that word, my son, it will be my last gift to you. To
you, dear son, because you love me. But now go to keep your
promise.’
Alyosha immediately obeyed, though it was hard to go.
But the promise that he should hear his last word on earth,
that it should be the last gift to him, Alyosha, sent a thrill
of rapture through his soul. He made haste that he might
finish what he had to do in the town and return quickly. Fa-
ther Paissy, too, uttered some words of exhortation which
moved and surprised him greatly. He spoke as they left the
cell together.
‘Remember, young man, unceasingly,’ Father Paissy be-
gan, without preface, ‘that the science of this world, which
has become a great power, has, especially in the last cen-
tury, analysed everything divine handed down to us in
the holy books. After this cruel analysis the learned of this
world have nothing left of all that was sacred of old. But
they have only analysed the parts and overlooked the whole,
and indeed their blindness is marvellous. Yet the whole

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