The Brothers Karamazov

(coco) #1

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was broad daylight. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to
feel himself extraordinarily vigorous. He jumped up at once
and dressed quickly; then dragged out his trunk and began
packing immediately. His linen had come back from the
laundress the previous morning. Ivan positively smiled at
the thought that everything was helping his sudden depar-
ture. And his departure certainly was sudden. Though Ivan
had said the day before (to Katerina Ivanovna, Alyosha, and
Smerdyakov) that he was leaving next day, yet he remem-
bered that he had no thought of departure when he went
to bed, or, at least, had not dreamed that his first act in the
morning would be to pack his trunk. At last his trunk and
bag were ready. It was about nine o’clock when Marfa Ig-
natyevna came in with her usual inquiry, ‘Where will your
honour take your tea, in your own room or downstairs?’
He looked almost cheerful, but there was about him, about
his words and gestures, something hurried and scattered.
Greeting his father affably, and even inquiring specially af-
ter his health, though he did not wait to hear his answer to
the end, he announced that he was starting off in an hour to
return to Moscow for good, and begged him to send for the
horses. His father heard this announcement with no sign of
surprise, and forgot in an unmannerly way to show regret at
losing him. Instead of doing so, he flew into a great flutter at
the recollection of some important business of his own.
‘What a fellow you are! Not to tell me yesterday! Never
mind; we’ll manage it all the same. Do me a great service,
my dear boy. Go to Tchermashnya on the way. It’s only to
turn to the left from the station at Volovya, only another

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