The Brothers Karamazov

Chapter 7

“It’s Always Worth While

Speaking to a Clever Man”

A

ND in the same nervous frenzy, too, he spoke. Meet-

ing Fyodor Pavlovitch in the drawing-room directly he

went in, he shouted to him, waving his hands, ‘I am going

upstairs to my room, not in to you. Good-bye!’ and passed

by, trying not even to look at his father. Very possibly the

old man was too hateful to him at that moment; but such

an unceremonious display of hostility was a surprise even

to Fyodor Pavlovitch. And the old man evidently wanted

to tell him something at once and had come to meet him

in the drawing-room on purpose. Receiving this amiable

greeting, he stood still in silence and with an ironical air

watched his son going upstairs, till he passed out of sight.

‘What’s the matter with him?’ he promptly asked

Smerdyakov, who had followed Ivan.

‘Angry about something. Who can tell?’ the valet mut-

tered evasively.

‘Confound him! Let him be angry then. Bring in the

samovar, and get along with you. Look sharp! No news?’