Page 743 - the-brothers-karamazov

strangle her.... I’ll put out both her eyes with a needle..’
‘I love you. love only you. I’ll love you in Siberia..’
‘Why Siberia? Never mind, Siberia, if you like. I don’t
care... we’ll work... there’s snow in Siberia.... I love driving
in the snow... and must have bells.... Do you hear, there’s a
bell ringing? Where is that bell ringing? There are people
coming.... Now it’s stopped.’
She closed her eyes, exhausted, and suddenly fell asleep
for an instant. There had certainly been the sound of a bell
in the distance, but the ringing had ceased. Mitya let his
head sink on her breast. He did not notice that the bell had
ceased ringing, nor did he notice that the songs had ceased,
and that instead of singing and drunken clamour there was
absolute stillness in the house. Grushenka opened her eyes.
‘What’s the matter? Was I asleep? Yes... a bell... I’ve been
asleep and dreamt I was driving over the snow with bells,
and I dozed. I was with someone I loved, with you. And far,
far away. I was holding you and kissing you, nestling close
to you. I was cold, and the snow glistened.... You know how
the snow glistens at night when the moon shines. It was as
though I was not on earth. I woke up, and my dear one is
close to me. How sweet that is!..’
‘Close to you,’ murmured Mitya, kissing her dress, her
bosom, her hands. And suddenly he had a strange fancy: it
seemed to him that she was looking straight before her, not
at him, not into his face, but over his head, with an intent,
almost uncanny fixity. An expression of wonder, almost of
alarm, came suddenly into her face.
‘Mitya, who is that looking at us?’ she whispered.

The Brothers Karamazov