0 The Brothers Karamazov‘No, I didn’t mean that,’ put in the captain with a guilty
face. ‘I only said that real powder is not made like that, but
that’s nothing, it can be made so.’
‘I don’t know, you know best. We lighted some in a po-
matum pot, it burned splendidly, it all burnt away leaving
only a tiny ash. But that was only the paste, and if you rub it
through... but of course you know best, I don’t know... And
Bulkin’s father thrashed him on account of our powder, did
you hear?’ he turned to Ilusha.
‘We had prepared a whole bottle of it and he used to keep
it under his bed. His father saw it. He said it might explode,
and thrashed him on the spot. He was going to make a com-
plaint against me to the masters. He is not allowed to go
about with me now, no one is allowed to go about with me
now. Smurov is not allowed to either; I’ve got a bad name
with everyone. They say I’m a ‘desperate character,’’ Kolya
smiled scornfully. ‘It all began from what happened on the
railway.’
‘Ah, we’ve heard of that exploit of yours, too,’ cried the
captain. ‘How could you lie still on the line? Is it possible
you weren’t the least afraid, lying there under the train?
Weren’t you frightened?’
The captain was abject in his flattery of Kolya.
‘N — not particularly,’ answered Kolya carelessly.
‘What’s blasted my reputation more than anything here was
that cursed goose,’ he said, turning again to Ilusha — but
though he assumed an unconcerned air as he talked, he still
could not control himself and was continually missing the
note he tried to keep up.