Latest / Brothers Karamazov / 052 - Book Eight Chapter Six
Transcript
- 0:01Speaker 1: Chapter fifty two of The Brother's Carametzov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky,
- 0:10Speaker 1: translated by Constance Garnet. This LibriVox recording is in the
- 0:16Speaker 1: public domain recording by Tony Addison, Chapter six. I am
- 0:25Speaker 1: coming too, But Dmitriy Fyodorovitch was speeding along the road.
- 0:34Speaker 1: It was a little more than twenty versts to Mokro,
- 0:38Speaker 1: but Andrea's three horses galloped at such a pace that
- 0:42Speaker 1: the distance might be covered in an hour and a quarter.
- 0:46Speaker 1: The swift motion revived Mitya. The air was fresh and cool.
- 0:53Speaker 1: There were big stars shining in the sky. It was
- 0:57Speaker 1: the very night, and perhaps the very in which Alyosha
- 1:02Speaker 1: fell on the earth and rapturously swore to love it
- 1:06Speaker 1: forever and ever. All was confusion, confusion in Mitya's soul.
- 1:13Speaker 1: But although many things were goading his heart, at that moment,
- 1:18Speaker 1: his whole being was yearning for her, his queen, to
- 1:24Speaker 1: whom he was flying to look on her for the
- 1:28Speaker 1: last time. One thing I can say for certain, his
- 1:34Speaker 1: heart did not waver for one instant. I shall perhaps
- 1:40Speaker 1: not be believed when I say that this jealous lover
- 1:45Speaker 1: felt not the slightest jealousy of this new rival, who
- 1:50Speaker 1: seemed to have sprung out of the earth. If any
- 1:54Speaker 1: other had appeared on the scene, he would have been
- 1:57Speaker 1: jealous at once, and would perhaps have stained his fierce
- 2:02Speaker 1: hands with blood again. But as he flew through the night,
- 2:07Speaker 1: he felt no envy, no hostility, even for the man
- 2:12Speaker 1: who had been her first lover. It is true he
- 2:16Speaker 1: had not yet seen him. Here there was no room
- 2:21Speaker 1: for dispute. It was her right and his. This was
- 2:25Speaker 1: her first love, which after five years she had not forgotten.
- 2:30Speaker 1: So she had loved him only for those five years.
- 2:34Speaker 1: And I, how do I come in what right of eye?
- 2:38Speaker 1: Step aside Mitya and make way? What am I now? Now? Ever,
- 2:42Speaker 1: a thing is over, apart from the opposite. Even if
- 2:45Speaker 1: he had not appeared, everything would be over. These words
- 2:51Speaker 1: would roughly have expressed his feelings if he had been
- 2:56Speaker 1: capable of reasoning, But he could not reason that moment.
- 3:01Speaker 1: His present plan of action had arisen without reasoning at
- 3:06Speaker 1: Fenya's first words. It had sprung from feeling and been
- 3:11Speaker 1: adopted in a flash, with all its consequences. And yet,
- 3:17Speaker 1: in spite of his resolution, there was confusion in his soul,
- 3:23Speaker 1: an agonizing confusion. His resolution did not give him peace.
- 3:30Speaker 1: There was so much behind that tortured him, and it
- 3:34Speaker 1: seemed strange to him at moments to think that he
- 3:38Speaker 1: had written his own sentence of death with pen and paper.
- 3:42Speaker 1: I punished myself, and the paper was lying there in
- 3:46Speaker 1: his pocket ready, the pistol was loaded. He had already
- 3:51Speaker 1: resolved how next morning he would meet the first warm
- 3:56Speaker 1: ray of golden haired Phoebus. And yet he could not
- 4:02Speaker 1: be quit of the past, of all that he had
- 4:05Speaker 1: left behind, and that tortured him. He felt that miserably,
- 4:10Speaker 1: and the thought of it sank into his heart with despair.
- 4:15Speaker 1: There was one moment when he felt an impulse to
- 4:19Speaker 1: stop Andrea, to jump out of the cart, to pull
- 4:23Speaker 1: out his loaded pistol, and to make an end of
- 4:26Speaker 1: everything without waiting for the dawn. But that moment flew
- 4:32Speaker 1: by like a spar The horses galloped on, devouring space,
- 4:39Speaker 1: and as he drew near his goal again, the thought
- 4:43Speaker 1: of her, of her alone, took more and more complete
- 4:49Speaker 1: possession of his soul, chasing away the fearful images that
- 4:56Speaker 1: had been haunting it. Oh, how he longed to look
- 5:00Speaker 1: upon her, if only for a moment, if only from
- 5:04Speaker 1: a distance. She's now with him, he thought. Now I
- 5:09Speaker 1: shall see what she looks like with him, her first love,
- 5:14Speaker 1: and that's all I want. Never had this woman, who
- 5:20Speaker 1: was such a faithful influence in his life, aroused that
- 5:24Speaker 1: love in his breast, such new and unknown feeling, surprising
- 5:30Speaker 1: even to himself, a feeling tender to devoutness, to self effacement.
- 5:36Speaker 1: Before her, I will efface myself, he said, in a
- 5:43Speaker 1: rush of almost hysterical ecstasy. They had been galloping nearly
- 5:50Speaker 1: an hour. Mitya was silent, and though Andre was as
- 5:55Speaker 1: a rule a talkative peasant, he did not utter a
- 6:00Speaker 1: word either. He seemed afraid to talk. He only whipped
- 6:06Speaker 1: up smartly his three lean but muttlesome bay horses. Suddenly,
- 6:13Speaker 1: Mitya cried out in horrible anxiety, and ANDROI what if
- 6:19Speaker 1: there asleep? This thought fell upon him like a blow.
- 6:24Speaker 1: It had not occurred to him before. It may well
- 6:28Speaker 1: be that they're gone to bed by now, Dmitry by Adorovitch.
- 6:33Speaker 1: Mitya frowned as though in pain. Yes, indeed he was
- 6:38Speaker 1: rushing there with such feelings while they were asleep. She
- 6:42Speaker 1: was asleep. Babs there too, an angry feeling surged up
- 6:49Speaker 1: in his heart drive arm Andrey whip them up. Look alive,
- 6:58Speaker 1: he cried side himself. But maybe they're not in bed,
- 7:05Speaker 1: Andre went on. After rappause. Tim o'fay said, they were
- 7:09Speaker 1: a lot of them there at the station, not at
- 7:13Speaker 1: the posting station, but at Plusterknov's, at the inn where
- 7:18Speaker 1: they let out horses too. I know, so you say
- 7:23Speaker 1: there are a lot of them. How is that? Who
- 7:26Speaker 1: are they? Tried? Mitya, greatly dismayed at this unexpected news. Well,
- 7:34Speaker 1: tim o'fay was saying, they're all gentle folk. Two from
- 7:38Speaker 1: our town. Who they are, accounts say, And there are
- 7:42Speaker 1: two others strangers, maybe more. Besides, I didn't ask particularly.
- 7:48Speaker 1: They've set to playing card, so tim o'fay said, cards,
- 7:54Speaker 1: So maybe they're not in bed. If they're at cards,
- 7:58Speaker 1: it's most likely not more than eleven quick cut and
- 8:01Speaker 1: drake quick got. Mitya cried again nervously. May I ask
- 8:08Speaker 1: you something, sir, said Andre, after a pause. Only I'm
- 8:14Speaker 1: afraid of angering you, sir. What is it? Why Fenya
- 8:21Speaker 1: threw herself at your feet just now and begged you
- 8:25Speaker 1: not to harm her mistress and someone else too as
- 8:28Speaker 1: so you see, sir, it's I am taking you that.
- 8:33Speaker 1: Forgive me, sir, it's my conscience. Maybe it's stupid of
- 8:36Speaker 1: me to speak of it. Mitya suddenly seized him by
- 8:41Speaker 1: the shoulders from behind. Are you a driver, he asked frantically, Yes, sir,
- 8:49Speaker 1: then you know that one has to make way. What
- 8:53Speaker 1: would you say to a driver who wouldn't make way
- 8:56Speaker 1: for anyone, but would just drive on and crush people. No,
- 9:03Speaker 1: a driver mustn't run over people. One can't run over
- 9:08Speaker 1: a man. One can't spoil people's lives. And if you
- 9:13Speaker 1: have spoilt a lie, punished yourself. If only you've spoilt,
- 9:19Speaker 1: if only you've ruined anyone's life, punish yourself and go away.
- 9:30Speaker 1: These phrases burst from Mitcha almost hysterically. Though Andre was
- 9:38Speaker 1: surprised at him, he kept up the conversation. That's right,
- 9:44Speaker 1: Dmitry Byodorovich, You're quite right. One mustn't crush or tormento
- 9:48Speaker 1: man or any kind of creature, For every creature is
- 9:52Speaker 1: created by God, take a horse, for instance. For some folks,
- 9:57Speaker 1: even among us, drivers drive anyhow, Nothing will restrain them.
- 10:02Speaker 1: They just force it along to hell. Mitya interrupted and
- 10:08Speaker 1: went off into his abrupt short laugh. Andre, simple soul.
- 10:16Speaker 1: He seized him by the shoulders again, tell me we'll
- 10:20Speaker 1: Dmitri by Odorovitch Karamatzov go to Hell or not? What
- 10:24Speaker 1: do you think? I don't know, darling. It depends on you.
- 10:29Speaker 1: For you are you see, sir? When the Son of
- 10:33Speaker 1: God was nailed on the cross and died, he went
- 10:37Speaker 1: straight down to Hell from the cross and set free
- 10:41Speaker 1: all sinners that were in agony. And the devil groaned
- 10:45Speaker 1: because he thought that he would get no more sinners
- 10:48Speaker 1: in hell. And God said to him, then don't groan,
- 10:53Speaker 1: for you shall have all the mighty of the earth,
- 10:55Speaker 1: the rulers, the chief judges, and the rich men, and
- 10:58Speaker 1: shall be filled up as you have been in all
- 11:01Speaker 1: the ages till I come again. Those ways very words
- 11:06Speaker 1: a peasant legend. Capital whip up the left Andrea. So
- 11:11Speaker 1: you see, sir, who it is? Hell's for? Said Andrea,
- 11:16Speaker 1: whipping up the left horse. But you're like a little child,
- 11:20Speaker 1: That's how we look on you. And though you're hasty tempered, sir,
- 11:24Speaker 1: yet God will forgive you for your kind heart. And
- 11:28Speaker 1: you do you forgive me, Andre, What should I forgive
- 11:32Speaker 1: you for? Sir, you've never done me any harm. No,
- 11:35Speaker 1: for everyone, for everyone. You here alone on the road,
- 11:40Speaker 1: will you forgive me for everyone? Speak simple, peasant heart,
- 11:47Speaker 1: Oh sir, I feel afraid of driving you. Your tolki
- 11:50Speaker 1: is so strange. But Mitya did not hear. He was
- 11:54Speaker 1: frantically praying and muttering to himself. Lord received me with
- 12:00Speaker 1: all my lawlessness, and do not condemn me. Let me
- 12:04Speaker 1: pass by thy judgment. Do not condemn me, for I
- 12:07Speaker 1: have condemned myself. Do not condemn me, for I love THEE,
- 12:10Speaker 1: O Lord. I am a wretch, but I love THEE.
- 12:13Speaker 1: If thou sendest me to Hell, I shall love THEE there,
- 12:17Speaker 1: and from there I shall cry out that I love
- 12:19Speaker 1: THEE for ever and ever. But let me love to
- 12:21Speaker 1: the end here and now, for just five hours till
- 12:25Speaker 1: the first light of thy day. For I love the
- 12:28Speaker 1: queen of my soul. I love her and I cannot
- 12:32Speaker 1: help loving her. Thou seest my whole heart. I shall
- 12:36Speaker 1: gallop up. I shall fall before her and say you
- 12:39Speaker 1: are right to pass on and leave me farewell, and
- 12:42Speaker 1: forget your victim. Never fretch yourself about me. Mock crab
- 12:48Speaker 1: cried Andrea, pointing ahead, with his whip. Through the pale
- 12:53Speaker 1: darkness of the night loomed a solid mass of buildings,
- 12:58Speaker 1: flung down as it were in the vast plain. The
- 13:02Speaker 1: village of Mokro numbered two thousand inhabitants, but at that
- 13:07Speaker 1: hour all were asleep, and only here and there a
- 13:11Speaker 1: few lights still twinkled. Drive on, Andrey, I come, Mitya
- 13:17Speaker 1: exclaimed feverishly. They're not asleep, said Andrea again, pointing with
- 13:23Speaker 1: his whip to the Plasternov's end, which is at the
- 13:26Speaker 1: entrance to the village. The six windows looking on the
- 13:30Speaker 1: street were all brightly lighted up. They're not asleep, Mitya
- 13:37Speaker 1: repeated joyously. Quicker, Andre, gallop, drive up with a dash,
- 13:42Speaker 1: sat the bells ringing. Let all know that I have come.
- 13:46Speaker 1: I'm coming. I'm coming too. Andrea lashed his exhausted team
- 13:52Speaker 1: into a gallop, drove with a dash, and pulled up
- 13:56Speaker 1: be steaming panting horses at the high flight of the step.
- 14:01Speaker 1: Mitya jumped out of the cart, just as the innkeeper,
- 14:04Speaker 1: on his way to bed, peeped out from the steps,
- 14:08Speaker 1: curious to see you had arrived. True, bom Borisovich, is
- 14:12Speaker 1: that you? The innkeeper bent down looked intently, ran down
- 14:18Speaker 1: the steps and rushed up to the guests with obsequious delight. Dmitri,
- 14:25Speaker 1: by your Darobitch your honor, Do I see you again?
- 14:29Speaker 1: Trifon Borissovitch was a thick set, healthy peasant of middle height,
- 14:35Speaker 1: with a rather fat face. His expression was severe and uncompromising,
- 14:41Speaker 1: especially with the peasants of Mokro, but he had the
- 14:44Speaker 1: power of assuming the most obsequious countenance when he had
- 14:50Speaker 1: an inkling that it was to his interest. He dressed
- 14:54Speaker 1: in Russian style, with a shirt buttoning down on one
- 14:58Speaker 1: side and a full skirted coat. He had saved a
- 15:02Speaker 1: good sum of money, but was for ever dreaming of
- 15:06Speaker 1: improving his position. More than half the peasants were in
- 15:11Speaker 1: his clutches. Every one in the neighborhood was in debt
- 15:15Speaker 1: to him from the neighboring landowners. He bought and rented
- 15:20Speaker 1: lands which were worked by the peasants in payment of
- 15:24Speaker 1: debts which they could never shake up. He was a
- 15:27Speaker 1: widower with four grown up daughters. One of them was
- 15:32Speaker 1: already a widow and lived in the inn with her
- 15:35Speaker 1: two children his grandchildren, and worked for him like a
- 15:40Speaker 1: child woman. Another of his daughters was married to a
- 15:44Speaker 1: petty official, and in one of the rooms of the inn.
- 15:48Speaker 1: On the wall could be seen among the family photographs,
- 15:52Speaker 1: a miniature photograph of this official in uniform and official epaulets.
- 16:00Speaker 1: The two younger daughters he used to wear fashionable blue
- 16:05Speaker 1: or green dresses, fitting tight at the back and with
- 16:09Speaker 1: trains a yard long on church holidays or when they
- 16:14Speaker 1: went to pay visits. But next morning they would get
- 16:18Speaker 1: up at dawn as usual, sweep at the rooms with
- 16:21Speaker 1: a birch broom, empty the slops, and clean up after lodgers.
- 16:27Speaker 1: In spite of the thousands of rubles he had saved,
- 16:32Speaker 1: Trifon Borissovitch was very fond of emptying the pockets of
- 16:36Speaker 1: a drunken guest, and remembering that not a month ago
- 16:41Speaker 1: he had in twenty four hours made two, if not
- 16:45Speaker 1: three hundred rubles out of Dmitri when he had come
- 16:49Speaker 1: on his escapade with Grushenka. He met him now with
- 16:52Speaker 1: eager welcome, scenting his prey. The moment Mitya drove up
- 16:58Speaker 1: to the steps, Dmitri by Adorovitch, Dear sir, we see
- 17:03Speaker 1: you once more. Stay Tryfon Borissovitch began, Mitya first and foremost,
- 17:10Speaker 1: Where is she? Agafina Alexandrovna, the innkeeper understood at once,
- 17:18Speaker 1: looking sharply into Mitya's face. She's here too, with whom,
- 17:23Speaker 1: with whom some strangers. One is an official gentleman, a
- 17:29Speaker 1: pole to judge from his speech, he sent the horses
- 17:33Speaker 1: for her from here. And there's another with him, a
- 17:36Speaker 1: friend of his or a fellow traveler. There's no telling.
- 17:40Speaker 1: They're dressed like civilians. Well are they feasting? Have they moneyed? Poor?
- 17:46Speaker 1: Sort of a feast? Nothing to boast of. Dmitri by Adorovich,
- 17:51Speaker 1: nothing to boast of. And two of the others, they
- 17:54Speaker 1: are two gentlemen from the town. They've come back from
- 17:58Speaker 1: Chenni and putting up here. One's quite a young gentleman,
- 18:03Speaker 1: a relative of mister Meusob, he must be, but I've
- 18:07Speaker 1: forgotten his name, and I expect you know. The other
- 18:10Speaker 1: two a gentleman called Maximo. He's been on a pilgrimage,
- 18:14Speaker 1: so he says, to the monastery in the town. He's
- 18:18Speaker 1: traveling with this young relation of mister Meusob. Is that
- 18:22Speaker 1: all yes, stay listen, Tory from Bori Subbage tell me
- 18:29Speaker 1: that you'd think what I've heard How is she, Oh,
- 18:33Speaker 1: she's only just come. She's sitting with them. Is she cheerful?
- 18:37Speaker 1: Is she laughing? No? I think she's not laughing much.
- 18:42Speaker 1: She's sitting quite dull. She's combing the young gentleman's hair.
- 18:47Speaker 1: The poll. The officer, he's not young, and he's not
- 18:51Speaker 1: an officer either, Not him, sir. It's the young gentleman.
- 18:56Speaker 1: That's mister Meusov's relation. I've forgotten his name. Kagana, that's it, Kalgana.
- 19:03Speaker 1: All right, I'll see for myself. Are they playing cards?
- 19:07Speaker 1: They have been playing, but they've left off. They've been
- 19:10Speaker 1: drinking tea. The official gentlemen asked, what the cures? Stay?
- 19:15Speaker 1: Try bom isobitch stay? My good soul asks you for myself.
- 19:21Speaker 1: Now answer one more question. Are the gypsies here? You
- 19:25Speaker 1: can't have the gypsies now, Dmitri Pyodorovich. The authorities have
- 19:30Speaker 1: sent them away. But we Jews that play the symbols
- 19:34Speaker 1: and the piddle in the village, so one might send
- 19:36Speaker 1: for them. They'd come. Send for them, certainly, Send for them,
- 19:40Speaker 1: cried MITCHA. And you can get the girls together as
- 19:43Speaker 1: you did then, Marya especially stepanneda two and arena two
- 19:47Speaker 1: hundred rubles for a chorus. Oh, for I'm like that,
- 19:52Speaker 1: I can get all the village together, though by now
- 19:54Speaker 1: they're asleep. Are the peasants here worth such kindness? Dmitri Piodorovich?
- 20:00Speaker 1: Oh the girls either just spend a sum like that
- 20:04Speaker 1: on such coarseness and rudeness. What's the good of giving
- 20:07Speaker 1: a peasant? Does he gout to smoke the stinking ruffian?
- 20:11Speaker 1: And the girls are all lazzy. Besides, I'll get my
- 20:15Speaker 1: daughters up for nothing, let alone of some like that.
- 20:18Speaker 1: They've only just gone to bed. I'll give them a
- 20:21Speaker 1: kit and set them singing for you. He gave the
- 20:24Speaker 1: peasant champagne to drink the other day, ha for all
- 20:29Speaker 1: his pretended compassion from mitcha treefon Borissovitch had hidden half
- 20:34Speaker 1: a dozen bottles of champagne on that last occasion, and
- 20:38Speaker 1: had picked up a hundred rouble note under the table,
- 20:42Speaker 1: and it had remained in his clutches. Treifon Borissovitch, I
- 20:48Speaker 1: sent more than one thousand flying last time I was here.
- 20:52Speaker 1: Do you remember you did send it flying? I may
- 20:56Speaker 1: well remember you must have left three thousand behind you. Well,
- 21:01Speaker 1: I've come to do the same again, do you see?
- 21:04Speaker 1: And he pulled out his roll of notes and held
- 21:07Speaker 1: them up before the innkeeper's nose. Now listen and remember.
- 21:13Speaker 1: In an hour's time the wine will arrive, savories, pies
- 21:17Speaker 1: and sweets. Bring them all up at once. That box
- 21:21Speaker 1: Andre has got is to be brought up at once.
- 21:23Speaker 1: To open it and hand champagne immediately. And the girls.
- 21:28Speaker 1: We must have the girls, my riot especially. He turned
- 21:31Speaker 1: to the cart and pulled out the box of pistols. Here, Andre,
- 21:36Speaker 1: let's settle. Here's fifteen roubles for the drive, and fifty
- 21:40Speaker 1: for vodka, for your readiness, for your love, remember karamatzo.
- 21:46Speaker 1: I'm afraid, Sir fal said Andre. Give me five rubles extra,
- 21:52Speaker 1: but more I won't take. Try from Borissovitch, bear witness
- 21:56Speaker 1: forgive my foolish word. What are you upright, ob asked Mitya,
- 22:02Speaker 1: scanning him. Well, I'll go to the devil if that's it,
- 22:05Speaker 1: he cried, flinging him five roubles, Na treyvom, Borissovitch, take
- 22:11Speaker 1: me up quickly and let me first get a look
- 22:13Speaker 1: at them, so that they don't see me. Where are
- 22:16Speaker 1: they in the blue room, trevon Borissovitch looked apprehensibly at Mitya,
- 22:23Speaker 1: but at once obediently did his bidding, leading him into
- 22:28Speaker 1: the passage. He went himself into the first large room
- 22:32Speaker 1: adjoining that in which the visitors were sitting, and took
- 22:36Speaker 1: the light away. Then he stealthily led Mitya in and
- 22:40Speaker 1: put him in a corner in the dark, whence he
- 22:43Speaker 1: could freely watch the company without being seen. But Mitya
- 22:47Speaker 1: did not look long, and indeed he could not see them.
- 22:51Speaker 1: He saw her, his heart throbbed violently, and all was
- 22:56Speaker 1: dark before his eyes. She was sitting sideways to the
- 23:01Speaker 1: table in a low chair, and beside her on the
- 23:04Speaker 1: sofa was the pretty youth Kalganov. She was holding his
- 23:09Speaker 1: hand and seemed to be laughing, while he, seeming vexed
- 23:14Speaker 1: and not looking at her, was saying something in a
- 23:17Speaker 1: loud voice to Maximov, who sat the other side of
- 23:20Speaker 1: the table facing Grushenka. Maximov was laughing violently at something
- 23:27Speaker 1: on the sofa. Sat he and on a chair by
- 23:30Speaker 1: the sofa, there was another stranger. The one on the
- 23:34Speaker 1: sofa was lulling backwards, smoking a pipe, and Mitya had
- 23:39Speaker 1: an impression of a stoutish, broad faced, short little man
- 23:44Speaker 1: who was apparently angry about something his friend. The other
- 23:49Speaker 1: stranger struck Mitya as extraordinarily tall, but he could make
- 23:54Speaker 1: out nothing more. He caught his breath. He could not
- 23:58Speaker 1: bear it for a minute. He put the pistol case
- 24:01Speaker 1: on her chest, and with a throbbing heart, he walked,
- 24:04Speaker 1: feeling cold all over, straight into the blue room to
- 24:08Speaker 1: face the company. Ah shrieked Grushenka, the first to notice him.
- 24:20Speaker 1: End of chapter fifty two.