Page 506 - the-brothers-karamazov

it alone, and his conduct seems to be crazy, a man must set
an example, and so draw men’s souls out of their solitude,
and spur them to some act of brotherly love, that the great
idea may not die.’
Our evenings, one after another, were spent in such
stirring and fervent talk. I gave up society and visited my
neighbours much less frequently. Besides, my vogue was
somewhat over. I say this, not as blame, for they still loved
me and treated me good-humouredly, but there’s no deny-
ing that fashion is a great power in society. I began to regard
my mysterious visitor with admiration, for besides enjoying
his intelligence, I began to perceive that he was brooding
over some plan in his heart, and was preparing himself
perhaps for a great deed. Perhaps he liked my not showing
curiosity about his secret, not seeking to discover it by di-
rect question nor by insinuation. But I noticed at last, that
he seemed to show signs of wanting to tell me something.
This had become quite evident, indeed, about a month after
he first began to visit me.
‘Do you know,’ he said to me once, ‘that people are very
inquisitive about us in the town and wonder why I come to
see you so often. But let them wonder, for soon all will be
explained.’
Sometimes an extraordinary agitation would come over
him, and almost always on such occasions he would get up
and go away. Sometimes he would fix a long piercing look
upon me, and I thought, ‘He will say something directly
now.’ But he would suddenly begin talking of something or-
dinary and familiar. He often complained of headache too.

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