The Brothers Karamazov

 The Brothers Karamazov

But for a long while Ivan did not recognise the real cause of
his growing dislike and he had only lately realised what was
at the root of it.
With a feeling of disgust and irritation he tried to pass
in at the gate without speaking or looking at Smerdyakov.
But Smerdyakov rose from the bench, and from that action
alone, Ivan knew instantly that he wanted particularly to
talk to him. Ivan looked at him and stopped, and the fact
that he did stop, instead of passing by, as he meant to the
minute before, drove him to fury. With anger and repul-
sion he looked at Smerdyakov’s emasculate, sickly face, with
the little curls combed forward on his forehead. His left eye
winked and he grinned as if to say, ‘Where are you going?
You won’t pass by; you see that we two clever people have
something to say to each other.’
Ivan shook. ‘Get away, miserable idiot. What have I to do
with you?’ was on the tip of his tongue, but to his profound
astonishment he heard himself say, ‘Is my father still asleep,
or has he waked?’
He asked the question softly and meekly, to his own sur-
prise, and at once, again to his own surprise, sat down on
the bench. For an instant he felt almost frightened; he re-
membered it afterwards. Smerdyakov stood facing him, his
hands behind his back, looking at him with assurance and
almost severity.
‘His honour is still asleep,’ he articulated deliberately
(“You were the first to speak, not I,’ he seemed to say). ‘I am
surprised at you, sir,’ he added, after a pause, dropping his
eyes affectedly, setting his right foot forward, and playing