Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com I’ll tell you all about it. That’s what I came for; that’s what
I asked you to come out here for, to explain the whole epi-
sode to you before we go in,’ he began with animation. ‘You
see, Karamazov, Ilusha came into the preparatory class last
spring. Well, you know what our preparatory class is — a
lot of small boys. They began teasing Ilusha at once. I am
two classes higher up, and, of course, I only look on at them
from a distance. I saw the boy was weak and small, but he
wouldn’t give in to them; he fought with them. I saw he was
proud, and his eyes were full of fire. I like children like that.
And they teased him all the more. The worst of it was he was
horribly dressed at the time, his breeches were too small for
him, and there were holes in his boots. They worried him
about it; they jeered at him. That I can’t stand. I stood up for
him at once, and gave it to them hot. I beat them, but they
adore me, do you know, Karamazov?’ Kolya boasted impul-
sively; ‘but I am always fond of children. I’ve two chickens
in my hands at home now — that’s what detained me to-day.
So they left off beating Ilusha and I took him under my pro-
tection. I saw the boy was proud. I tell you that, the boy was
proud; but in the end he became slavishly devoted to me:
he did my slightest bidding, obeyed me as though I were
God, tried to copy me. In the intervals between the classes
he used to run to me at once’ and I’d go about with him. On
Sundays, too. They always laugh when an older boy makes
friends with a younger one like that; but that’s a prejudice. If
it’s my fancy, that’s enough. I am teaching him, developing
him. Why shouldn’t I develop him if I like him? Here you,
Karamazov, have taken up with all these nestlings. I see