Page 906 - the-brothers-karamazov

Chapter 5

By Ilusha’s Bedside

HE room inhabited by the family of the retired captain
TSnegiryov is already familiar to the reader. It was close
and crowded at that moment with a number of visitors. Sev-
eral boys were sitting with Ilusha, and though all of them,
like Smurov, were prepared to deny that it was Alyosha
who had brought them and reconciled them with Ilusha, it
was really the fact. All the art he had used had been to take
them, one by one, to Ilusha, without ‘sheepish sentimental-
ity,’ appearing to do so casually and without design. It was
a great consolation to Ilusha in his suffering. He was greatly
touched by seeing the almost tender affection and sympa-
thy shown him by these boys, who had been his enemies.
Krassotkin was the only one missing and his absence was a
heavy load on Ilusha’s heart. Perhaps the bitterest of all his
bitter memories was his stabbing Krassotkin, who had been
his one friend and protector. Clever little Smurov, who was
the first to make it up with Ilusha, thought it was so. But
when Smurov hinted to Krassotkin that Alyosha wanted to
come and see him about something, the latter cut him short,
bidding Smurov tell ‘Karamazov’ at once that he knew best

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