10 The Brothers KaramazovFyodorovitch!’ he called after him again.
‘What do you want?’ Ivan turned without stopping.
‘Good-bye!’
‘Till to-morrow!’ Ivan cried again, and he walked out of
the cottage.
The snowstorm was still raging. He walked the first few
steps boldly, but suddenly began staggering. ‘It’s something
physical,’ he thought with a grin. Something like joy was
springing up in his heart. He was conscious of unbounded
resolution; he would make an end of the wavering that had
so tortured him of late. His determination was taken, ‘and
now it will not be changed,’ he thought with relief. At that
moment he stumbled against something and almost fell
down. Stopping short, he made out at his feet the peasant
he had knocked down, still lying senseless and motionless.
The snow had almost covered his face. Ivan seized him and
lifted him in his arms. Seeing a light in the little house to
the right he went up, knocked at the shutters, and asked
the man to whom the house belonged to help him carry the
peasant to the police station, promising him three roubles.
The man got ready and came out. I won’t describe in detail
how Ivan succeeded in his object, bringing the peasant to
the police-station and arranging for a doctor to see him at
once, providing with a liberal hand for the expenses. I will
only say that this business took a whole hour, but Ivan was
well content with it. His mind wandered and worked inces-
santly.
‘If I had not taken my decision so firmly for to-morrow,’
he reflected with satisfaction, ‘I should not have stayed a