Page 926 - the-brothers-karamazov

ing it. For weeks he had been longing to.
‘Well, who did found it?’ Kolya, turning to him with
haughty superciliousness. He saw from his face that he re-
ally did know and at once made up his mind how to take
it. There was so to speak, a discordant note in the general
harmony.
‘Troy was founded by Teucer, Dardanus, Ilius and Tros,’
the boy rapped out at once, and in the same instant he
blushed, blushed so, that it was painful to look at him. But
the boys stared at him, stared at him for a whole minute,
and then all the staring eyes turned at once and were fas-
tened upon Kolya, who was still scanning the audacious boy
with disdainful composure.
‘In what sense did they found it?’ he deigned to comment
at last. ‘And what is meant by founding a city or a state?
What do they do? Did they go and each lay a brick, do you
suppose?’
There was laughter. The offending boy turned from pink
to crimson. He was silent and on the point of tears. Kolya
held him so for a minute.
‘Before you talk of a historical event like the foundation
of a nationality, you must first understand what you mean
by it,’ he admonished him in stern, incisive tones. ‘But I at-
tach no consequence to these old wives’ tales and I don’t
think much of universal history in general,’ he added care-
lessly, addressing the company generally.
‘Universal history?’ the captain inquired, looking almost
scared.
‘Yes, universal history! It’s the study of the successive