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027 - Book Four Chapter Three · Brothers Karamazov

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty seven of The Brothers Karamatzov by Fayodor Dostoyevsky,
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  Speaker 1: translated by Constance Garnet. This librevox recording is in the
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  Speaker 1: public domain recording by Tony Addison, Chapter three, A meeting
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  Speaker 1: with the schoolboys. Thank goodness, he did not ask me
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  Speaker 1: about Grushenka, thought Alyosha as he left his father's house
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  Speaker 1: and turned towards Madame Holokov's. Or I might have to
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  Speaker 1: tell him of my meeting with Grushenka yesterday. Alyosha felt
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  Speaker 1: painfully that since yesterday both combatants had renewed their energies,
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  Speaker 1: and that their hearts had grown hard again. Father is
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  Speaker 1: spiteful and angry. He's made some plan and will stick
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  Speaker 1: to it. And what of Dmitri, He too will be
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  Speaker 1: harder than yesterday. He too must be spiteful and angry,
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  Speaker 1: and he, too, no doubt, has made some plan. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: I must succeed in finding him to day, whatever happens.
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  Speaker 1: But Alyosha had not long to meditate. An incident occurred
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  Speaker 1: on the road, which, though apparently of little consequence, made
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  Speaker 1: a great impression on him. Just after he had crossed
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  Speaker 1: the square and turned the corner, coming out into Mihaalovsky Street,
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  Speaker 1: the which is divided by a small ditch from the
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  Speaker 1: high street. Our whole town is intersected by ditches. He
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  Speaker 1: saw a group of schoolboys between the ages of nine
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  Speaker 1: and twelve at the bridge. They were going home from school,
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  Speaker 1: some with their bags on their shoulders, others with leather
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  Speaker 1: satchels slung across them, Some in short jackets, others in
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  Speaker 1: little overcoats. Some even had those high boots with creases
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  Speaker 1: around the ankles, such as little boys spoiled by rich
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  Speaker 1: fathers loved to wear. The whole group was talking eagerly
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  Speaker 1: about something, apparently holding a council. Alyosha had never, from
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  Speaker 1: his Moscow days been able to pass children without taking
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  Speaker 1: notice of them, and although he was particularly fond of
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  Speaker 1: children of three or thereabout, he liked sk schoolboys of
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  Speaker 1: ten and eleven two and so anxious as he was
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  Speaker 1: today he wanted at once to turn aside to talk
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  Speaker 1: to them. He looked into their excited, rosy faces and
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  Speaker 1: noticed at once that all the boys had stones in
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  Speaker 1: their hands. Behind the ditch, some thirty paces away, there
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  Speaker 1: was another schoolboy standing by a fence. He too had
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  Speaker 1: a satchel at his side. He was about ten years old, pale,
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  Speaker 1: delicate looking, and with sparkling black eyes. He kept an
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  Speaker 1: attentive and anxious watch on the other six, obviously his
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  Speaker 1: school fellows, with whom he had just come out of school,
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  Speaker 1: but with whom he had evidently had a feud. Al
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  Speaker 1: Yosha went up and, addressing a fair, curly headed rosy
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  Speaker 1: boy in a black jacket, observed, when I used to
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  Speaker 1: wear a satchel like yours, I always used to carry
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  Speaker 1: it on my left side so as to have my
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  Speaker 1: right hand free. But you've got yours on your right side,
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  Speaker 1: so it will be awkward for you to get at it.
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  Speaker 1: Alyosha had no art or premeditation in beginning with this
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  Speaker 1: practical remark, But it is the only way for a
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  Speaker 1: grown up person to get at once into confidential relations
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  Speaker 1: with a child, or still more with a group of children.
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  Speaker 1: One must begin in a serious, businesslike way, so as
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  Speaker 1: to be on a perfectly equal footing. Alyosha understood it
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  Speaker 1: by instinct. But he is left handed. Another, a fine,
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  Speaker 1: healthy looking boy of eleven, answered promptly. All the others
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  Speaker 1: stared at Alyosha. He even throw stones with his left hand,
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  Speaker 1: observed A third. At that instant, a stone flew into
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  Speaker 1: the group, but only just grazed the left handed boy,
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  Speaker 1: though it was well and vigorously thrown by the boy
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  Speaker 1: standing the other side of the ditch, gave it him,
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  Speaker 1: hit him back. Smear up. They all shouted, but smearro.
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  Speaker 1: The left handed boy needed no telling, and at once
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  Speaker 1: revenged himself. He threw a stone, but it missed the
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  Speaker 1: boy and hit the ground. The boy the other side
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  Speaker 1: of the ditch, the pocket of whose coat was visibly
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  Speaker 1: bulging with stones, flung another stone of the group. This
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  Speaker 1: time it blue straight at Alyosha and hit him painfully
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  Speaker 1: on the shoulder. He aimed it at you, He meant
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  Speaker 1: it for you. You are karamats a. Karamats up. The
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  Speaker 1: boys shouted, laughing, Come all throw at him at once,
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  Speaker 1: and six stones flew at the boy. One struck the
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  Speaker 1: boy on the head and he fell down, but at
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  Speaker 1: once leapt up and began ferociously returning their fire. Both
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  Speaker 1: sides threw stones incessantly. Many of the group had their
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  Speaker 1: pockets full too. What are you about, aren't you ashamed?
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  Speaker 1: Six against one? Why you'll kill him? Cried Alyosha. He
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  Speaker 1: ran forward and met the flying stones to screen. The
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  Speaker 1: solitary boy three or four ceased throwing for a minute.
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  Speaker 1: He began first, cried a boy in a red shirt
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  Speaker 1: in an angry, childish voice. He is a beast. He
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  Speaker 1: stabbed Crassotkin in class the other day with a penknife.
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  Speaker 1: It bled Krassotkin wouldn't tell tales, but it must be thrashed.
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  Speaker 1: But what for I suppose you tease him? There he
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  Speaker 1: sent a stone in your back again. He knows you,
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  Speaker 1: cried the children. It's you he is throwing yet no
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  Speaker 1: not asked. Come all of you at em again. Don't
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  Speaker 1: mess me up? And again a fire of stones, and
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  Speaker 1: a very vicious one began. The boy the other side
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  Speaker 1: of the ditch was hit in the chest. He screamed,
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  Speaker 1: began to cry, and ran away up hill towards Mihaylovsky Street.
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  Speaker 1: They all shouted, Aha, he is bunking, He is running away,
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  Speaker 1: wisp of tow You don't know what a beast he is.
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  Speaker 1: Karamutzov killing is too good for him, said the boy
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  Speaker 1: in the jacket with flashing eyes. He seemed to be
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  Speaker 1: the eldest. What's wrong with him? Asked Alyosha. Is he
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  Speaker 1: a telltale? Or what. The boys looked at one another
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  Speaker 1: as though derisively, are you going that way? To Mialyovsky?
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  Speaker 1: The same boy went on, catch him up. You see
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  Speaker 1: he stopped again. He's waiting and looking at you. He
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  Speaker 1: is looking at you. The other boys chimed in. You
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  Speaker 1: ask him, does he like a disheveled whispered toe? Do
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  Speaker 1: you hear? Ask him that? There was a general burst
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  Speaker 1: of laughter. Alyosha looked at them, and they at him.
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  Speaker 1: Don't go near him, he'll hurt you, cried Smurov in
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  Speaker 1: a warning voice. I shan't ask him about the whisper
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  Speaker 1: of toe. I expect you tease him with that question somehow,
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  Speaker 1: But I'll find out from him why you hate him.
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  Speaker 1: So find out, then find out, cried the boys, laughing.
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  Speaker 1: Alyosha crossed the bridge and walked up hill by the fence,
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  Speaker 1: straight towards the boy. You'd better look out, the boys
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  Speaker 1: called after him. He won't be afraid of you. He
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  Speaker 1: will stab you in a minute. On the sly as
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  Speaker 1: he did grassot again, the boy waited for him, without budging,
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  Speaker 1: coming up to him, Alyosha saw facing him a child
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  Speaker 1: of about nine years old. He was an undersized, weakly
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  Speaker 1: boy with a thin, pale face with large, dark eyes
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  Speaker 1: that gazed at him vindictively. He was dressed in a
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  Speaker 1: rather shabby old overcoat, which he had monstrously at grown.
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  Speaker 1: He's bare arms stuck out beyond his sleeves. There was
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  Speaker 1: a large patch on the right knee of his trousers,
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  Speaker 1: and in his right boot, just at the toe there
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  Speaker 1: was a big hole in the leather carefully blackened with ink.
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  Speaker 1: Both the pockets of his great coat were weighed down
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  Speaker 1: with stones. Alyosha stopped two steps in front of him,
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  Speaker 1: looked inquiringly at him. The boy, seeing at once from
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  Speaker 1: Alyosha's eyes that he wouldn't beat him, became less defiant
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  Speaker 1: and addressed him first. I am alone, and there are
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  Speaker 1: six of them. I'll beat them all alone, he said suddenly,
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  Speaker 1: with flashing eyes. I think one of the stones must
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  Speaker 1: have hurt you badly, observed Alyosha. But I hit smear
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  Speaker 1: up on the head, cried the boy. They told me
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  Speaker 1: that you know me, and that you threw a stone
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  Speaker 1: at me on purpose, said Alyosha. The boy looked darkly
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  Speaker 1: at him. I don't know you, do you know me?
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  Speaker 1: Alyosha continued, Let me alone. The boy cried irritably, but
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  Speaker 1: he did not move, as though he were expecting something,
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  Speaker 1: and again there was a vindictive light in his eyes.
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  Speaker 1: Very well, I am going, said Alyosha. Only I don't
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  Speaker 1: know you, and I don't tease you. They told me
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  Speaker 1: how they tease you, but I don't want to tease you.
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  Speaker 1: Good Bye, monk ink silk trousers, cried the boy, following
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  Speaker 1: Alyosha with the same vindictive and defiant expression, and he
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  Speaker 1: threw himself into an attitude of defense, feeling sure that
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  Speaker 1: now Alyosha would fall upon him. But Alyosha turned, looked
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  Speaker 1: at him, and walked away. He had not gone three
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  Speaker 1: steps before the biggest stone the boy had in his
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  Speaker 1: pocket hit him a painful blow in the back. So
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  Speaker 1: you'll hit a man from behind? They tell the truth.
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  Speaker 1: Then when they say that, you attack on the sly,
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  Speaker 1: said Alyosha, turning round again. This time the boy threw
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  Speaker 1: a stone savagely right into Alyosha's face, but Alyosha just
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  Speaker 1: had time to guard himself and the stone struck him
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  Speaker 1: on the elbow. Aren't you ashamed? What have I done
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  Speaker 1: to you? He cried? The boy waited in silent defiance,
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  Speaker 1: certain that now Alyosha would attack him. Seeing that even
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  Speaker 1: now he would not, his rage was like a little
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  Speaker 1: wild beast's. He flew at Alyosha himself, and before Alyosha
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  Speaker 1: had time to move, the spiteful child had seized his
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  Speaker 1: left hand with both of his and bit his middle finger.
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  Speaker 1: He fixed his teeth in it, and it was ten
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  Speaker 1: seconds before he let go. Alyosha cried out with pain
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  Speaker 1: and pulled his finger away with all his might. The
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  Speaker 1: child let go at last and retreated to his former distance.
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  Speaker 1: Alyosha's finger had been badly bitten to the bone. Close
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  Speaker 1: to the nail. It began to bleed. Alyosha took out
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  Speaker 1: his handkerchief and bounded tightly round his injured hand. He
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  Speaker 1: was a full minute bandaging it. The boy stood waiting
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  Speaker 1: all the time. At last, Alyosha raised his gentle eyes
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  Speaker 1: and looked at him very well. He said, you see
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  Speaker 1: how badly you bitten me. That's enough, isn't dead? Now
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  Speaker 1: tell me what have I done to you? The boy
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  Speaker 1: stared in amazement. Though I don't know you and it's
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  Speaker 1: the first time I've seen you, Alyosha went on with
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  Speaker 1: the same serenity. Yet I must have done something to you.
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  Speaker 1: You wouldn't have hurt me like this for nothing. So
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  Speaker 1: what have I done? How have I wronged? You? Tell me?
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  Speaker 1: Instead of answering, the boy broke into a loud, tearful
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  Speaker 1: wail and ran away. Alyosha walked slowly after him, towards
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  Speaker 1: Mihaalovsky Street, and for a long time he saw the
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  Speaker 1: child running in the distance as fast as ever, not
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  Speaker 1: turning his head, and no doubt still keeping up his
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  Speaker 1: tearful wail. He made up his mind to find him
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  Speaker 1: out as soon as he had time, and to solve
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  Speaker 1: this mystery. Just now he had not the time, and
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  Speaker 1: of chapter twenty seven,