Karamazov Atlas

and ran into the room after . They had been struggling with him in the passage, refusing to admit him, acting on instructions given them by some days before. Taking advantage of the fact that stopped a moment on entering the room to look about him, ran round the table, closed the double doors on the opposite side of the room leading to the inner apartments, and stood before the closed doors, stretching wide his arms, prepared to defend the entrance, so to speak, with the last drop of his blood. Seeing this, uttered a scream rather than a shout and rushed at .

“Then she’s there! She’s hidden there! Out of the way, scoundrel!”

He tried to pull away, but the old servant pushed him back. Beside himself with fury, struck out, and hit with all his might. The old man fell like a log, and , leaping over him, broke in the door. remained pale and trembling at the other end of the room, huddling close to .

“She’s here!” shouted . “I saw her turn towards the house just now, but I couldn’t catch her. Where is she? Where is she?”

That shout, “She’s here!” produced an indescribable effect on . All his terror left him.

“Hold him! Hold him!” he cried, and dashed after . Meanwhile had got up from the floor, but still seemed stunned. and ran after their father. In the third room something was heard to fall on the floor with a ringing crash: it was a large glass vase—not an expensive one—on a marble pedestal which had upset as he ran past it.

“At him!” shouted the old man. “Help!”

and caught the old man and were forcibly bringing him back.

“Why do you run after him? He’ll murder you outright,” cried wrathfully at his father.

“! ! She must be here. ’s here. He said he saw her himself, running.”

He was choking. He was not expecting at the time, and the sudden news that she was here made him beside himself. He was trembling all over. He seemed frantic.

“But you’ve seen for yourself that she hasn’t come,” cried .

“But she may have come by that other entrance.”

“You know that entrance is locked, and you have the key.”

suddenly reappeared in the drawing-room. He had, of course, found the other entrance locked, and the key actually was in ’s pocket. The windows of all the rooms were also closed, so could not have come in anywhere nor have run out anywhere.

“Hold him!” shrieked , as soon as he saw him again. “He’s been stealing money in my bedroom.” And tearing himself from he rushed again at . But threw up both hands and suddenly clutched the old man by the two tufts of hair that remained on his temples, tugged at them, and flung him with a crash on the floor. He kicked him two or three times with his heel in the face. The old man moaned shrilly. , though not so strong as , threw his arms round him, and with all his might pulled him away. helped him with his slender strength, holding in front.

“Madman! You’ve killed him!” cried .

“Serve him right!” shouted breathlessly. “If I haven’t killed him, I’ll come again and kill him. You can’t protect him!”

“! Go away at once!” cried commandingly.

“! You tell me. It’s only you I can believe; was she here just now, or not? I saw her myself creeping this way by the fence from the lane. I shouted, she ran away.”

“I swear she’s not been here, and no one expected her.”

“But I saw her.... So she must ... I’ll find out at once where she is.... Good-by, ! Not a word to Æsop about the money now. But go to at once and be sure to say, ‘He sends his compliments to you!’ Compliments, his compliments! Just compliments and farewell! Describe the scene to her.”

Meanwhile and had raised the old man and seated him in an arm-chair. His face was covered with blood, but he was conscious and listened greedily to ’s cries. He was still fancying that really was somewhere in the house. looked at him with hatred as he went out.

“I don’t repent shedding your blood!” he cried. “Beware, old man, beware of your dream, for I have my dream, too. I curse you, and disown you altogether.”

He ran out of the room.

“She’s here. She must be here. ! !” the old man wheezed, scarcely audibly, beckoning to him with his finger.

“No, she’s not here, you old lunatic!” shouted at him angrily. “Here, he’s fainting! Water! A towel! Make haste, !”

ran for water. At last they got the old man undressed, and put him to bed. They wrapped a wet towel round his head. Exhausted by the brandy, by his violent emotion, and the blows he had received, he shut his eyes and fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. and went back to the drawing-room. removed the fragments of the broken vase, while stood by the table looking gloomily at the floor.

“Shouldn’t you put a wet bandage on your head and go to bed, too?” said to him. “We’ll look after him. My brother gave you a terrible blow—on the head.”

“He’s insulted me!” articulated gloomily and distinctly.

“He’s ‘insulted’ his father, not only you,” observed with a forced smile.

“I used to wash him in his tub. He’s insulted me,” repeated .

“Damn it all, if I hadn’t pulled him away perhaps he’d have murdered him. It wouldn’t take much to do for Æsop, would it?” whispered to .

“God forbid!” cried .

“Why should He forbid?” went on in the same whisper, with a malignant grimace. “One reptile will devour the other. And serve them both right, too.”

shuddered.

“Of course I won’t let him be murdered as I didn’t just now. Stay here, , I’ll go for a turn in the yard. My head’s begun to ache.”

went to his father’s bedroom and sat by his bedside behind the screen for about an hour. The old man suddenly opened his eyes and gazed for a long while at , evidently remembering and meditating. All at once his face betrayed extraordinary excitement.

“,” he whispered apprehensively, “where’s ?”

“In the yard. He’s got a headache. He’s on the watch.”

“Give me that looking-glass. It stands over there. Give it me.”

gave him a little round folding looking-glass which stood on the chest of drawers. The old man looked at himself in it; his nose was considerably swollen, and on the left side of his forehead there was a rather large crimson bruise.

“What does say? , my dear, my only son, I’m afraid of . I’m more afraid of than the other. You’re the only one I’m not afraid of....”

“Don’t be afraid of either. He is angry, but he’ll defend you.”

“, and what of the other? He’s run to . My angel, tell me the truth, was she here just now or not?”

“No one has seen her. It was a mistake. She has not been here.”

“You know wants to marry her, to marry her.”

“She won’t marry him.”

“She won’t. She won’t. She won’t. She won’t on any account!”

The old man fairly fluttered with joy, as though nothing more comforting could have been said to him. In his delight he seized ’s hand and pressed it warmly to his heart. Tears positively glittered in his eyes.

“That image of the Mother of God of which I was telling you just now,” he said. “Take it home and keep it for yourself. And I’ll let you go back to the monastery.... I was joking this morning, don’t be angry with me. My head aches, .... , comfort my heart. Be an angel and tell me the truth!”

“You’re still asking whether she has been here or not?” said sorrowfully.

“No, no, no. I believe you. I’ll tell you what it is: you go to yourself, or see her somehow; make haste and ask her; see for yourself, which she means to choose, him or me. Eh? What? Can you?”

“If I see her I’ll ask her,” muttered, embarrassed.

“No, she won’t tell you,” the old man interrupted, “she’s a rogue. She’ll begin kissing you and say that it’s you she wants. She’s a deceitful, shameless hussy. You mustn’t go to her, you mustn’t!”

“No, father, and it wouldn’t be suitable, it wouldn’t be right at all.”

“Where was he sending you just now? He shouted ‘Go’ as he ran away.”

“To .”

“For money? To ask her for money?”

“No. Not for money.”

“He’s no money; not a farthing. I’ll settle down for the night, and think things over, and you can go. Perhaps you’ll meet her.... Only be sure to come to me to-morrow in the morning. Be sure to. I have a word to say to you to-morrow. Will you come?”

“Yes.”

“When you come, pretend you’ve come of your own accord to ask after me. Don’t tell any one I told you to. Don’t say a word to .”

“Very well.”

“Good-by, my angel. You stood up for me, just now. I shall never forget it. I’ve a word to say to you to-morrow—but I must think about it.”

“And how do you feel now?”

“I shall get up to-morrow and go out, perfectly well, perfectly well!”

Crossing the yard found sitting on the bench at the gateway. He was sitting writing something in pencil in his note-book. told that their father had waked up, was conscious, and had let him go back to sleep at the monastery.

“, I should be very glad to meet you to-morrow morning,” said cordially, standing up. His cordiality was a complete surprise to .

“I shall be at the Hohlakovs’ to-morrow,” answered , “I may be at ’s, too, if I don’t find her now.”

“But you’re going to her now, anyway? For that ‘compliments and farewell,’” said smiling. was disconcerted.

“I think I quite understand his exclamations just now, and part of what went before. has asked you to go to her and say that he—well, in fact—takes his leave of her?”

“Brother, how will all this horror end between father and ?” exclaimed .

“One can’t tell for certain. Perhaps in nothing: it may all fizzle out. That woman is a beast. In any case we must keep the old man indoors and not let in the house.”

“Brother, let me ask one thing more: has any man a right to look at other men and decide which is worthy to live?”

“Why bring in the question of worth? The matter is most often decided in men’s hearts on other grounds much more natural. And as for rights—who has not the right to wish?”

“Not for another man’s death?”

“What even if for another man’s death? Why lie to oneself since all men live so and perhaps cannot help living so. Are you referring to what I said just now—that one reptile will devour the other? In that case let me ask you, do you think me like capable of shedding Æsop’s blood, murdering him, eh?”

“What are you saying, ? Such an idea never crossed my mind. I don’t think is capable of it, either.”

“Thanks, if only for that,” smiled . “Be sure, I should always defend him. But in my wishes I reserve myself full latitude in this case. Good-by till to-morrow. Don’t condemn me, and don’t look on me as a villain,” he added with a smile.

They shook hands warmly as they had never done before. felt that his brother had taken the first step towards him, and that he had certainly done this with some definite motive.