Brothers -- Fiction; Didactic fiction; Fathers and sons -- Fiction; Russia -- Social life and customs -- 1533-1917 -- Fiction
Father Païssy kept obstinately silent. Miüsov rushed from the room, and
Kalganov after him.
“Well, Father, I will follow Pyotr Alexandrovitch! I am not coming to
see you again. You may beg me on your knees, I shan’t come. I sent you
a thousand roubles, so you have begun to keep your eye on me. He he he!
No, I’ll say no more. I am taking my revenge for my youth, for all the
humiliation I endured.” He thumped the table with his fist in a
paroxysm of simulated feeling. “This monastery has played a great part
in my life! It has cost me many bitter tears. You used to set my wife,
the crazy one, against me. You cursed me with bell and book, you spread
stories about me all over the place. Enough, fathers! This is the age
of Liberalism, the age of steamers and railways. Neither a thousand,
nor a hundred roubles, no, nor a hundred farthings will you get out of
me!”
It must be noted again that our monastery never had played any great
part in his life, and he never had shed a bitter tear owing to it. But
he was so carried away by his simulated emotion, that he was for one
moment almost believing it himself. He was so touched he was almost
weeping. But at that very instant, he felt that it was time to draw
back.
The Father Superior bowed his head at his malicious lie, and again
spoke impressively:
“It is written again, ‘Bear circumspectly and gladly dishonor that
cometh upon thee by no act of thine own, be not confounded and hate not
him who hath dishonored thee.’ And so will we.”
“Tut, tut, tut! Bethinking thyself and the rest of the rigmarole.
Bethink yourselves, Fathers, I will go. But I will take my son, Alexey,
away from here for ever, on my parental authority. Ivan Fyodorovitch,
my most dutiful son, permit me to order you to follow me. Von Sohn,
what have you to stay for? Come and see me now in the town. It is fun
there. It is only one short verst; instead of lenten oil, I will give
you sucking-pig and kasha. We will have dinner with some brandy and
liqueur to it.... I’ve cloudberry wine. Hey, von Sohn, don’t lose your
chance.” He went out, shouting and gesticulating.
It was at that moment Rakitin saw him and pointed him out to Alyosha.
“Alexey!” his father shouted, from far off, catching sight of him. “You
come home to me to-day, for good, and bring your pillow and mattress,
and leave no trace behind.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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