The Possessed

that something must be done, but he was troubled. The hospitable old man seemed also rather afraid of his young kinsman. He made up his mind, however, to induce him to apologise to the club and t

pening envelopes at a table, and in the next room, at the window nearest to the door, a stout and sturdy colonel, a former friend and colleague of the governor, was sitting alone reading the Golos, paying no attention, of course, to what was taking place in the waiting-room; in fact, he had his back t

eat consolation to your mother, who is so precious to all of us.... And now again everything has appeared in such an unaccountable light, so detrimental to all! I speak as a friend of your family, as an old man who loves you sincerely and

tience. All at once there was a gleam o

el coughed over the Golos. Poor Ivan Ossipovitch hurriedly and trustfully inclined his ear; he was exceedingly curious. And then something utterly incredible, though on the other side only too unmistakable, took pl

joke!" he moaned mechanic

wo were whispering together; and yet the old man's desperate face alarmed them. They looked at one another with wide-open

moaned again, "come ... you'v

oved for the time to the guard-room, where he was confined in a special cell, with a special sentinel at the door. This decision was a harsh one, but our mild governor was so angry that he was prepared to take the responsibility even if he had to face Varvara Petrovn

door with his fists,-with unnatural strength wrenched the iron grating off the door, broke the window, and cut his hands all over. When the officer on duty ran with a detachment of m

and will, which was indeed borne out by the facts. So it turned out that Liputin had guessed the truth sooner than any one. Ivan Ossipovitch, who was a man of delicacy and feeling, was completely abashed. But what was striking was that he, too, had considered Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch capable of any mad a

so far as possible to apologise where necessary. Nikolay agreed with great alacrity. It became known at the club that he had had a most delicate explanation with Pyotr Pavlovitch Gaganov, at the house of the latter, who had been completely satisfied with his apology. As he went round to pay these calls Nikolay was very grave and even gloomy. Every one appeared to receive him sympathetic

eforehand what I should say about your sen

recognised that you were a clever man, a

ut, excuse me, did you consider me a sensib

elieve that you were insane.... And you guessed at once what wa

ikolay Vsyevolodovitch, frowning. "Bah!" he cried, "do you suppose I'm capable

w what to answer. Nikolay turned pale

how," Nikolay went on, "but as for Agafya, I understand

llenge you to a

m to have heard that you'

French?" said Liput

r national

into himself

cuous place on the table. "You don't mean to say you're a Fourierist! I'm afraid you must be!

"That is taken from the universal language of humanity, not simply from the French. From the language

here's no such langu

he coarse and jealous family despot, the miserly money-lender who picked up the candle-ends and scraps left from dinner, and was at the same time a passionate believer in some visionary future "social harmony," who at night gloated in ecstasies over fantastic pictures of a future phalanstery, in the approaching realisation of which, in Russia, and in our province, he bel

exist!" Nikolay wondered, recalling