Page 673 - the-brothers-karamazov
P. 673

‘You’ll lose it like that. Have you found a gold mine?’
              ‘The mines? The gold mines?’ Mitya shouted at the top
            of his voice and went off into a roar of laughter. ‘Would you
            like to go to the mines, Perhotin? There’s a lady here who’ll
            stump up three thousand for you, if only you’ll go. She did
           it for me, she’s so awfully fond of gold mines. Do you know
           Madame Hohlakov?’
              ‘I don’t know her, but I’ve heard of her and seen her. Did
            she  really  give  you  three  thousand?  Did  she  really?’  said
           Pyotr Ilyitch, eyeing him dubiously.
              ‘As soon as the sun rises to-morrow, as soon as Phoebus,
            ever young, flies upwards, praising and glorifying God, you
            go to her, this Madame Hohlakov, and ask her whether she
            did stump up that three thousand or not. Try and find out.’
              ‘I don’t know on what terms you are... since you say it so
           positively, I suppose she did give it to you. You’ve got the
           money in your hand, but instead of going to Siberia you’re
            spending it all.... Where are you really off to now, eh?’
              ‘To Mokroe.’
              ‘To Mokroe? But it’s night!’
              ‘Once  the  lad  had  all,  now  the  lad  has  naught,’  cried
           Mitya suddenly.
              ‘How ‘naught’? You say that with all those thousands!’
              ‘I’m not talking about thousands. Damn thousands! I’m
           talking of female character.
              Fickle is the heart of woman
              Treacherous and full of vice;
              I agree with Ulysses. That’s what he says.’
              ‘I don’t understand you!’

                                           The Brothers Karamazov
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