Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 1
and sent for the horses. A light lunch was brought in, with
brandy. When Fyodor Pavlovitch was pleased, he usually
became expansive, but to-day he seemed to restrain himself.
Of Dmitri, for instance, he did not say a word. He was quite
unmoved by the parting, and seemed, in fact, at a loss for
something to say. Ivan noticed this particularly. ‘He must
be bored with me,’ he thought. Only when accompanying
his son out on to the steps, the old man began to fuss about.
He would have kissed him, but Ivan made haste to hold out
his hand, obviously avoiding the kiss. His father saw it at
once, and instantly pulled himself up.
‘Well, good luck to you, good luck to you!’ he repeat-
ed from the steps. ‘You’ll come again some time or other?
Mind you do come. I shall always be glad to see you. Well,
Christ be with you!’
Ivan got into the carriage.
‘Good-bye, Ivan! Don’t be too hard on me!’ the father
called for the last time.
The whole household came out to take leave — Smerdya-
kov, Marfa and Grigory. Ivan gave them ten roubles each.
When he had seated himself in the carriage, Smerdyakov
jumped up to arrange the rug.
‘You see... I am going to Tchermashnya,’ broke suddenly
from Ivan. Again, as the day before, the words seemed to
drop of themselves, and he laughed, too, a peculiar, nervous
laugh. He remembered it long after.
‘It’s a true saying then, that ‘it’s always worth while speak-
ing to a clever man,’’ answered Smerdyakov firmly, looking
significantly at Ivan.