The Brothers Karamazov
‘You’ll lose it like that. Have you found a gold mine?’
‘The mines? The gold mines?’ Mitya shouted at the top
of his voice and went off into a roar of laughter. ‘Would you
like to go to the mines, Perhotin? There’s a lady here who’ll
stump up three thousand for you, if only you’ll go. She did
it for me, she’s so awfully fond of gold mines. Do you know
Madame Hohlakov?’
‘I don’t know her, but I’ve heard of her and seen her. Did
she really give you three thousand? Did she really?’ said
Pyotr Ilyitch, eyeing him dubiously.
‘As soon as the sun rises to-morrow, as soon as Phoebus,
ever young, flies upwards, praising and glorifying God, you
go to her, this Madame Hohlakov, and ask her whether she
did stump up that three thousand or not. Try and find out.’
‘I don’t know on what terms you are... since you say it so
positively, I suppose she did give it to you. You’ve got the
money in your hand, but instead of going to Siberia you’re
spending it all.... Where are you really off to now, eh?’
‘To Mokroe.’
‘To Mokroe? But it’s night!’
‘Once the lad had all, now the lad has naught,’ cried
Mitya suddenly.
‘How ‘naught’? You say that with all those thousands!’
‘I’m not talking about thousands. Damn thousands! I’m
talking of female character.
Fickle is the heart of woman
Treacherous and full of vice;
I agree with Ulysses. That’s what he says.’
‘I don’t understand you!’