Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com ‘Yes, from your gait. You surely don’t deny that charac-
ter can be told from the gait, Dmitri Fyodorovitch? Science
supports the idea. I’m all for science and realism now. After
all this business with Father Zossima, which has so upset
me, from this very day I’m a realist and I want to devote
myself to practical usefulness. I’m cured. ‘Enough!’ as Tur-
geney says.’
‘But madam, the three thousand you so generously prom-
ised to lend me-.’
‘It is yours, Dmitri Fyodorovitch,’ Madame Hohlakov cut
in at once. ‘The money is as good as in your pocket, not
three thousand, but three million, Dmitri Fyodorovitch, in
less than no time. I’ll make you a present of the idea: you
shall find gold mines, make millions, return and become a
leading man, and wake us up and lead us to better things.
Are we to leave it all to the Jews? You will found institu-
tions and enterprises of all sorts. You will help the poor, and
they will bless you. This is the age of railways, Dmitri Fy-
odorovitch. You’ll become famous and indispensable to the
Department of Finance, which is so badly off at present. The
depreciation of the rouble keeps me awake at night, Dmitri
Fyodorovitch; people don’t know that side of me-.’
‘Madam, madam! Dmitri interrupted with an uneasy
presentiment. ‘I shall indeed, perhaps, follow your advice,
your wise advice, madam.... I shall perhaps set off... to the
gold mines.... I’ll come and see you again about it... many
times, indeed... but now, that three thousand you so gener-
ously... oh, that would set me free, and if you could to-day...
you see, I haven’t a minute, a minute to lose to-day-.’