Page 691 - the-brothers-karamazov
P. 691

pause. ‘Timofey said they were a lot of them there-.’
              ‘At the station?’
              ‘Not at the posting-station, but at Plastunov’s, at the inn,
           where they let out horses, too.’
              ‘I know. So you say there are a lot of them? How’s that?
           Who are they?’ cried Mitya, greatly dismayed at this unex-
           pected news.
              ‘Well,  Timofey  was  saying  they’re  all  gentlefolk.  Two
           from our town — who they are I can’t say — and there are
           two others, strangers, maybe more besides. I didn’t ask par-
           ticularly. They’ve set to playing cards, so Timofey said.’
              ‘Cards?’
              ‘So, maybe they’re not in bed if they’re at cards. It’s most
            likely not more than eleven.’
              ‘Quicker, Andrey! Quicker!’ Mitya cried again, nervous-
            ly.
              ‘May I ask you something, sir?’ said Andrey, after a pause.
           ‘Only I’m afraid of angering you, sir.’
              ‘What is it?’
              ‘Why,  Fenya  threw  herself  at  your  feet  just  now,  and
            begged  you  not  to  harm  her  mistress,  and  someone  else,
           too... so you see, sir- It’s I am taking you there... forgive me,
            sir, it’s my conscience... maybe it’s stupid of me to speak of
           it-.’
              Mitya  suddenly  seized  him  by  the  shoulders  from  be-
           hind.
              ‘Are you a driver?’ he asked frantically.
              ‘Yes sir.’
              ‘Then you know that one has to make way. What would

             0                             The Brothers Karamazov
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