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Chapter 5

By Ilusha’s Bedside

T

HE room inhabited by the family of the retired captain

Snegiryov is already familiar to the reader. It was close

and crowded at that moment with a number of visitors. Sev-

eral boys were sitting with Ilusha, and though all of them,

like Smurov, were prepared to deny that it was Alyosha

who had brought them and reconciled them with Ilusha, it

was really the fact. All the art he had used had been to take

them, one by one, to Ilusha, without ‘sheepish sentimental-

ity,’ appearing to do so casually and without design. It was

a great consolation to Ilusha in his suffering. He was greatly

touched by seeing the almost tender affection and sympa-

thy shown him by these boys, who had been his enemies.

Krassotkin was the only one missing and his absence was a

heavy load on Ilusha’s heart. Perhaps the bitterest of all his

bitter memories was his stabbing Krassotkin, who had been

his one friend and protector. Clever little Smurov, who was

the first to make it up with Ilusha, thought it was so. But

when Smurov hinted to Krassotkin that Alyosha wanted to

come and see him about something, the latter cut him short,

bidding Smurov tell ‘Karamazov’ at once that he knew best