Page 886 - the-brothers-karamazov

ence, you know. And how do you know? I may not be going
to make it up at all. It’s a stupid expression.’
‘It’s not Karamazov at all; it’s not his doing. Our fellows
began going there of themselves. Of course, they went with
Karamazov at first. And there’s been nothing of that sort of
silliness. First one went, and then another. His father was
awfully pleased to see us. You know he will simply go out
of his mind if Ilusha dies. He sees that Ilusha’s dying. And
he seems so glad we’ve made it up with Ilusha. Ilusha asked
after you, that was all. He just asks and says no more. His
father will go out of his mind or hang himself. He behaved
like a madman before. You know he is a very decent man.
We made a mistake then. It’s all the fault of that murderer
who beat him then.’
‘Karamazov’s a riddle to me all the same. I might have
made his acquaintance long ago, but I like to have a prop-
er pride in some cases. Besides, I have a theory about him
which I must work out and verify.’
Kolya subsided into dignified silence. Smurov, too, was
silent. Smurov, of course, worshipped Krassotkin and never
dreamed of putting himself on a level with him. Now he was
tremendously interested at Kolya’s saying that he was ‘going
of himself’ to see Ilusha. He felt that there must be some
mystery in Kolya’s suddenly taking it into his head to go to
him that day. They crossed the market-place, in which at
that hour were many loaded wagons from the country and
a great number of live fowls. The market women were sell-
ing rolls, cottons and threads, etc., in their booths. These
Sunday markets were naively called ‘fairs’ in the town, and