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But if I should be laid up with a fit, how can I prevent him coming in then, even if I dared prevent him, knowing how desperate he is? Hang it! How can you be so sure you are going to have a fit, confound you? Are you laughing at me? How could I dare laugh at you, and I am in no laughing humour with this fear on me? I feel I am going to have a fit. I have a presentiment. Fright alone will bring it on. Confound it! If you are laid up, Grigory will be on the watch. Let Grigory know beforehand; he will be sure not to let him in. I should never dare to tell Grigory Vassilyevitch about the signals without orders from my master. And as for Grigory Vassilyevitch hearing him and not admitting him, he has been ill ever since yesterday, and Marfa Ignatyevna intends to give him medicine to-morrow. Theyve just arranged it. Its a very strange remedy of hers. Marfa Ignatyevna knows of a preparation and always keeps it. Its a strong thing made from some herb. She has the secret of it, and she always gives it to Grigory Vassilyevitch three times a year when his lumbagos so bad he is almost paralysed by it. Then she takes a towel, wets it with the stuff, and rubs his whole back for half an hour till its quite red and swollen, and whats left in the bottle she gives him to drink with a special prayer; but not quite all, for on such occasions she leaves some for herself, and drinks it herself. And as they never take strong drink, I assure you they both drop asleep at once and sleep sound a very long time. And when Grigory Vassilyevitch wakes up he is perfectly well after it, but Marfa Ignatyevna always has a headache from it. So, if Marfa Ignatyevna carries out her intention to-morrow, they wont hear anything and hinder Dmitri Fyodorovitch. Theyll be asleep. What a rigmarole! And it all seems to happen at once, as though it were planned. Youll have a fit and theyll both be unconscious, cried Ivan. But arent you trying to arrange it so? broke from him suddenly, and he frowned threateningly. How could I? And why should I, when it all depends on Dmitri Fyodorovitch and his plans? If he means to do anything hell do it; but if not, I shant be thrusting him upon his father. And why should he go to father, especially on the sly, if, as you say yourself Agrafena Alexandrovna wont come at all? Ivan went on, turning white with anger. You say that yourself, and all the while Ive been here, Ive felt sure it was all the old mans fancy, and the creature wont come to him. Why should Dmitri break in on him if she doesnt come? Speak, I want to know what you are thinking! You know yourself why hell come. Whats the use of what I think? His honour will come simply because he is in a rage or suspicious on account of my illness perhaps, and hell dash in, as he did yesterday through impatience to search the rooms, to see whether she hasnt escaped him on the sly. He is perfectly well aware, too, that Fyodor Pavlovitch has a big envelope with three thousand roubles in it, tied up with ribbon and sealed with three seals. On it is written in his own hand, To my angel Grushenka, if she will come, to which he added three days later, for my little chicken. Theres no knowing what that might do. Nonsense! cried Ivan, almost beside himself. Dmitri wont come to steal money and kill my father to do it. He might have killed him yesterday on account of Grushenka, like the frantic, savage fool he is, but he wont steal. He is in very great need of money nowthe greatest need, Ivan Fyodorovitch. You dont know in what need he is, Smerdyakov explained, with perfect composure and remarkable distinctness. He looks on that three thousand as his own, too. He said so to me himself. My father still owes me just three thousand, he said. And besides that, consider, Ivan Fyodorovitch, there is something else perfectly true. Its as good as certain, so to say, that Agrafena Alexandrovna will force him, if only she cares to, to marry herthe master himself, I mean Fyodor Pavlovitchif only she cares to, and of course she may care to. All Ive said is that she wont come, but maybe shes looking for more than thatI mean to be mistress here. I know myself that Samsonov, her merchant, was laughing with her about it, telling her quite openly |
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