00 The Brothers Karamazoveyes flashed. ‘Tell Krassotkin for me,’ he cried, ‘that I will
throw bread with pins to all the dogs — all — all of them!’
‘So he’s going in for a little temper. We must smoke it out of
him.’ And I began to treat him with contempt; whenever
I met him I turned away or smiled sarcastically. And just
then that affair with his father happened. You remember?
You must realise that he was fearfully worked up by what
had happened already. The boys, seeing I’d given him up,
set on him and taunted him, shouting, ‘Wisp of tow, wisp of
tow!’ And he had soon regular skirmishes with them, which
I am very sorry for. They seem to have given him one very
bad beating. One day he flew at them all as they were com-
ing out of school. I stood a few yards off, looking on. And,
I swear, I don’t remember that I laughed; it was quite the
other way, I felt awfully sorry for him; in another minute I
would have run up to take his part. But he suddenly met my
eyes. I don’t know what he fancied; but he pulled out a pen-
knife, rushed at me, and struck at my thigh, here in my right
leg. I didn’t move. I don’t mind owning I am plucky some-
times, Karamazov. I simply looked at him contemptuously,
as though to say, ‘This is how you repay all my kindness! Do
it again if you like, I’m at your service.’ But he didn’t stab
me again; he broke down; he was frightened at what he had
done; he threw away the knife, burst out crying, and ran
away. I did not sneak on him, of course, and I made them
all keep quiet, so it shouldn’t come to the ears of the masters.
I didn’t even tell my mother till it had healed up. And the
wound was a mere scratch. And then I heard that the same
day he’d been throwing stones and had bitten your finger —