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065 - Book Ten Chapter Two · Brothers Karamazov

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  Speaker 1: Chapter sixty five 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 two, Children and
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  Speaker 1: so On. That frosty, snowy and windy day in November,
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  Speaker 1: Kolia Krassotkin was sitting at home. It was Sunday and
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  Speaker 1: there was no school. It had just struck eleven, and
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  Speaker 1: he particularly wanted to go out on very urgent business,
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  Speaker 1: but he was left alone in charge of the house
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  Speaker 1: for it so happened that all its elder inmates were
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  Speaker 1: absent owing to a sudden, unsingular event. Madame Krazutkin had
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  Speaker 1: led two little rooms, separated from the rest of ours
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  Speaker 1: by a passage, to a doctor's wife with her two
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  Speaker 1: small children. This lady was the same age as Anna
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  Speaker 1: Afayodorovna and a great friend of hers. Her husband. The
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  Speaker 1: doctor had taken his departure twelve months before, going first
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  Speaker 1: to Orenburg and then to Tashkend, and for the last
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  Speaker 1: six months she had not heard a word from him.
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  Speaker 1: Had it not been for friendship with Madame Krazutkin, which
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  Speaker 1: was some consolation to the forsaken lady, she would certainly
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  Speaker 1: have completely dissolved away in tears. And now to add
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  Speaker 1: to her misfortunes, Katerina, her only servant, was suddenly moved
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  Speaker 1: the evening before to announce to her mistress's amazement that
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  Speaker 1: she proposed to bring a child into the world before morning.
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  Speaker 1: It seemed almost miraculous to everyone that no one had
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  Speaker 1: noticed the probability of it before. The astounded doctor's wife
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  Speaker 1: decided to move Katerina while there was still time to
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  Speaker 1: an establishment in the town kept by a midwife for
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  Speaker 1: such emergencies. As she set great store by her servant.
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  Speaker 1: She promptly carried out this plan and remained there looking
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  Speaker 1: after her. By the morning or Madame Krazutkin's friendly sympathy
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  Speaker 1: and energy were called upon to render assistance and appeal
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  Speaker 1: to someone for help in the case. So both the
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  Speaker 1: ladies were absent from home. The Kussutkin servant, Agafia, had
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  Speaker 1: gon out to the market, and Collier was thus left
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  Speaker 1: for a time to protect and look after the kids,
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  Speaker 1: that is, the son and daughter of the doctor's wife,
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  Speaker 1: who were left alone. Collier was not afraid of taking
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  Speaker 1: care of theirs Besides, he had baras Von, who had
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  Speaker 1: been told to lie lut without moving under the bench
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  Speaker 1: in the hall. Every time Collier, walking to and fro
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  Speaker 1: through the rooms, came into the hall, the dog shook
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  Speaker 1: his head and gave two loud and insinuating taps on
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  Speaker 1: the floor with his tail, but alas the whistle did
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  Speaker 1: not sound to release him. Colier looked sternly at the
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  Speaker 1: luckless dog, who relapsed again into obedient rigidity. The one
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  Speaker 1: thing that troubled Collier was the kids. He looked, of
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  Speaker 1: course with the utmost scorn on Katerina's unexpected adventure, But
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  Speaker 1: he was very fond of the bereaved kiddies and had
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  Speaker 1: already taken them a picture book. Nashtya the elder, a
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  Speaker 1: girl of eight, could read, and Gooshtye, the boy, aged seven,
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  Speaker 1: was very fond of being read to by her. Krassotkin could,
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  Speaker 1: of course, have provided more diverting entertainment for them. He
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  Speaker 1: could have made them stand side by side and played
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  Speaker 1: soldiers with them, or sent them hiding all over the house.
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  Speaker 1: He had done so more than once before, and was
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  Speaker 1: not above doing it, so much so that a report
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  Speaker 1: once spread at school that Krassotkin played horses with the
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  Speaker 1: little lodges at home, pruncing with his head on one
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  Speaker 1: side like a trace horse. But Krazotkin haughtily parried this thrust,
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  Speaker 1: pointing out that to play horses with boys of one's
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  Speaker 1: own age, boys of thirteen, would certainly be disgraceful at
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  Speaker 1: this date, but that he did it for the sake
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  Speaker 1: of the kids because he liked them, and no one
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  Speaker 1: had a right to call him to account for his feelings.
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  Speaker 1: The two kids adored him, but on this occasion he
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  Speaker 1: was in no mood for games. He had very important
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  Speaker 1: business of his own before him, something almost mysterious. Meanwhile,
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  Speaker 1: time was passing, and a gap year with whom he
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  Speaker 1: could have left the children would not come back from market.
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  Speaker 1: He had several times already crossed the passage, opened the
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  Speaker 1: door of the lodger's room and looked anxiously at the kids,
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  Speaker 1: who were sitting over the book, as he had bidden them.
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  Speaker 1: Every time he opened the door, they grinned at him,
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  Speaker 1: hoping he would come in and would do something delightful
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  Speaker 1: and amusing. But Collier bothered and did not go on.
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  Speaker 1: At last, it struck eleven, and he made up his
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  Speaker 1: mind once for all that at that damned Agapia did
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  Speaker 1: not come back within ten minutes, he should go out
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  Speaker 1: without waiting for her, making the kid's promise, of course,
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  Speaker 1: to be brave when he was away, not to be naughty,
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  Speaker 1: and not to cry from bright. With this idea, he
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  Speaker 1: put on his wadded winter overcoat with its catskin fur collar,
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  Speaker 1: slung his satchel round his shoulder, and regardless of his
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  Speaker 1: mother's constantly reiterated entreaties that he would always put on
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  Speaker 1: galoshes in such cold weather, he looked at them contemptuously
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  Speaker 1: as he crossed the hall and went out with only
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  Speaker 1: his bootsum Parreswohan, seeing him in his outdoor clothes, began
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  Speaker 1: tapping nervously yet vigorously on the floor, with his tail
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  Speaker 1: twitching all over. He even utter a plaintive wine. But Colia,
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  Speaker 1: seeing his dog's passionate excitement, decided that it was a
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  Speaker 1: breach of discipline, kept him for another minute under the bench,
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  Speaker 1: and only when he had opened the door into the
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  Speaker 1: passage whistled for him. The dog leapt up like a
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  Speaker 1: mad creature and dressed, bounding before him rapturously. Colia opened
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  Speaker 1: the door to peep at the kids. They were both
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  Speaker 1: sitting as before at the table, not reading, but warmly
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  Speaker 1: disputing about something. The children often argued together about various
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  Speaker 1: exciting problems of life, and Nashtye, being the elder, always
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  Speaker 1: got the best of it. If Koshtya did not agree
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  Speaker 1: with her, he almost always appealed to Kolia Krassotkin, and
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  Speaker 1: his verdict was regarded as infallible by both of them.
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  Speaker 1: This time, the kid's discussion rather interested Krazotkin, and he
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  Speaker 1: stood still in the passage to listen. The children saw
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  Speaker 1: he was listening, and that made them dispute with even
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  Speaker 1: greater energy. I shall never never believe, nash Dear prattled
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  Speaker 1: that the old women find babies among the cabbages in
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  Speaker 1: the kitchen garden. It's winter now, and the aarna cabbages,
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  Speaker 1: and so the old woman couldn't of taking Katerina a daughter,
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  Speaker 1: Colia whistled to himself. Or perhaps they do bring babies
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  Speaker 1: from somewhere, but only to those who are married. Cushtyer
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  Speaker 1: stirred at Nashdar and listened, pondering profoundly. Nash Dear, how
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  Speaker 1: silly you are? He said, at first, firmly and calmly,
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  Speaker 1: How can Katerina have a baby when she isn't married?
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  Speaker 1: Nash Dear was exasperated. You know nothing about it, she
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  Speaker 1: snapped irritably. Perhaps she has her husband, only he is
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  Speaker 1: in prison, So now she's got a baby. But is
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  Speaker 1: her husband in prison? The matter of fact, Kushtia inquired gravely,
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  Speaker 1: Or I tell you what, Nashtcha interrupted impulsively, completely rejecting
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  Speaker 1: and forgetting her first hypothesis. She hasn't a husband, You
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  Speaker 1: are right there, but she wants to be married, and
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  Speaker 1: so she's been thinking of getting married and thinking and
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  Speaker 1: thinking of it till now she's got it. That is
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  Speaker 1: not a husband but a baby. Well, perhaps so, Gushta agreed,
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  Speaker 1: entirely vanquished, But you didn't say so before. So how
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  Speaker 1: could I tell? Come, kidd is said Collier, stepping into
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  Speaker 1: the room. You're terrible people, I see and perrespond with you,
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  Speaker 1: grinned Gushtia and began snapping his fingers and calling Parashwam,
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  Speaker 1: I am in the difficulty, kids, Krazotkin began solemnly, And
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  Speaker 1: you must help me. Agafia must have broken a leg,
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  Speaker 1: since she has not turned up till now. That's certain.
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  Speaker 1: I must go out. Will you let me go? The
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  Speaker 1: children looked anxiously at one another. Their smiling faces showed
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  Speaker 1: signs of uneasiness, but they did not yet fully grasp
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  Speaker 1: what was expected of them. You won't be naughty while
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  Speaker 1: I am gone. You won't climb on the cupboard and
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  Speaker 1: break the legs. You won't be frightened alone, and cried
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  Speaker 1: a look of profound despondency came into the children's faces.
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  Speaker 1: And I could show you something as a reward, a
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  Speaker 1: little copper cannon which can be fired with real gunpowder.
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  Speaker 1: The children's faces instantly brightened. Show us the cannon, said Gushtia,
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  Speaker 1: beaming all over. Krazotkin put his hand in his satchel
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  Speaker 1: and pulling out a little bronze cannon, stood it on
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  Speaker 1: the table. Ah, you are bound to ask that. Look,
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  Speaker 1: it's on wheels. He rolled the toy on along the table.
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  Speaker 1: And it can be fired up too. It can be
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  Speaker 1: loaded with shot and fired up, and it could kill
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  Speaker 1: any one. It can kill any one. You've only got
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  Speaker 1: to aim at anybody. And Krassotkin explained where the powder
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  Speaker 1: had to be put, where the shot should be rolled
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  Speaker 1: him showing a tiny hole like a touch hole and
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  Speaker 1: told them that he kicked when it was fired. The
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  Speaker 1: children listened with intense interest. What particularly struck their imagination
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  Speaker 1: was that the cannon kicked. And have you got any powder?
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  Speaker 1: Nashtia inquired, Yes, show us the powder too, she drawled,
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  Speaker 1: with a smile of entreaty. Krassotkin dived again into his
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  Speaker 1: satchel and pulled out a small flask containing a little
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  Speaker 1: real gunpowder. He had some shot too, in a strew
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  Speaker 1: of paper. He even uncorked the flask and shook a
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  Speaker 1: little powder into the palm of his hand. One has
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  Speaker 1: to be careful there's no fire about, or it will
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  Speaker 1: blow up and kill us all, Krassotkin warmed them sensationally.
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  Speaker 1: The children gazed at the powder with an awe stricken
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  Speaker 1: alarm that only intensified their enjoyment. But Gushtua liked the
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  Speaker 1: shot better. And does the shot burn? He inquired, No,
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  Speaker 1: it doesn't give me a little shot, he asked, in
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  Speaker 1: an imploring voice. I'll give you a little sh here.
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  Speaker 1: Take it, but don't show it to your mother till
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  Speaker 1: I come back, or shall be sure to think it's gunpowder,
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  Speaker 1: and we'll die a fright and give you a thrashing.
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  Speaker 1: Mother never does whip us, Nashtya observed at once. I
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  Speaker 1: know I only said that to finish the sentence. And
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  Speaker 1: don't you ever deceive your mother? Accept just this once
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  Speaker 1: until I come back. And so, kiddies, can I go out.
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  Speaker 1: You won't be frightened and cry. When I'm gone. We
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  Speaker 1: shall cry jeweled costure on the burge of tears. Already
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  Speaker 1: we shall cry. We shall be sure to cry. Nashtya
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  Speaker 1: chimed in with timid haste. Oh children, children half wrought
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  Speaker 1: with peril? Are your years? There's no help or it, chickens.
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  Speaker 1: I shall have to stay with you. I don't know
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  Speaker 1: how long, and time is passing. Time is passing. Ah
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  Speaker 1: tell paretz van to pretend to be dead. Gushtia beg,
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  Speaker 1: there's no help. Warret We must have krs to parretts
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  Speaker 1: van e ci parretts arm and Collier began giving orders
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  Speaker 1: to the dog who performed all his tricks. He was
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  Speaker 1: a rough haired dog of medium size, with a coat
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  Speaker 1: of a sort of lilac gray color. He was blind
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  Speaker 1: in his right eye and his left ear was torn.
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  Speaker 1: He whined and jumped, stood and walked on his hind legs,
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  Speaker 1: lay on his back with his paws in the air,
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  Speaker 1: rigid as though we were dead. While this last performance
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  Speaker 1: was going on, the door opened and a gap Ya,
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  Speaker 1: Madame Krazotkin's servant, a stout woman of port it marked
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  Speaker 1: with smallpox, appeared in the doorway. She had come back
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  Speaker 1: from market and had a bag full of provisions in
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  Speaker 1: her hand. Holding up the bag of provisions in her
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  Speaker 1: left hand, she stood still to watch the dog. Though
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  Speaker 1: Colia had been so anxious for her return, he did
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  Speaker 1: not cut short the performance, and after keeping Barretzwan dead
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  Speaker 1: for the usual time, at last he whistled to him.
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  Speaker 1: The dog jumped up and began bounding about in his
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  Speaker 1: joy at having done his duty. Only think a dog,
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  Speaker 1: A Gapia observed, sententiously. Why are you late, female, asked
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  Speaker 1: Krazotkin sternly. Female. Indeed, go on with ye, ye brat, brat, Yes,
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  Speaker 1: a brat. What is it to you if I'm late?
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  Speaker 1: If I'm late, ye may be sure I have good reason,
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  Speaker 1: muttered a Gapia, busying herself about the stove, without a
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  Speaker 1: trace of anger or display in her voice. She seemed
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  Speaker 1: quite pleased, in fact, to enjoy a skirmish with her merry,
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  Speaker 1: young master. Listen, you frivolous young woman, Krazotkin began, getting
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  Speaker 1: up from the sofa. Can you swear by all your
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  Speaker 1: old sacred in the world and something else besides that,
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  Speaker 1: you will watch vigilantly over the kids in my absence.
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  Speaker 1: I am going out, and what am I going to
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  Speaker 1: swear for? Laughed Agafia. I shall look after them without that. No,
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  Speaker 1: you must swear on your eternal salvation. Else I shan't go. Well,
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  Speaker 1: don't then what does it matter to me? It's cold
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  Speaker 1: ad Stay at home, kids, Carlia turned to the children.
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  Speaker 1: This woman will stay with you till I come back,
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  Speaker 1: or till your mother comes where she ought to have
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  Speaker 1: been back long ago. She will give you some lunch too.
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  Speaker 1: You'll give them something, Gapia, won't you that I can dig? Goodbye, chickens.
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  Speaker 1: I go with my heart at rest, and you, Grannie,
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  Speaker 1: he added gravely in an undertone as he passed. Agafia,
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  Speaker 1: I hope you'll spur their tender years and not tell
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  Speaker 1: them any of your old woman's nonsense about Katerina e
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  Speaker 1: c parrets bomb get along with you, retorted Agafia, really
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  Speaker 1: angry this time. Ridiculous boy, you want a whip him
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  Speaker 1: for saying such things that's what you want. And of
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  Speaker 1: Chapter sixty five