drunk, and drank expensive wine without stint. People used to tell, laughing at Mitya, how he had given champagne to grimy-handed peasants, and feasted the village women and girls on sweets and Strasburg pies. Though to laugh at Mitya to his face was rather a risky proceeding, there was much laughter behind his back, especially in the tavern, at his own ingenuous public avowal that all he had got out of Grushenka by this 'escapade' was 'permission to kiss her foot, and that was the utmost she had allowed him.'
By the time Mitya and Pyotr Ilyitch reached the shop, they found a cart with three horses harnessed abreast with bells, and with Andrey, the driver, ready waiting for Mitya at the entrance. In the shop they had almost entirely finished packing one box of provisions, and were only waiting for Mitya's arrival to nail it down and put it in the cart. Pyotr Ilyitch was astounded.
'Where did this cart come from in such a hurry?' he asked Mitya.
'I met Andrey as I ran to you, and told him to drive straight here to the shop. There's no time to lose. Last time I drove with Timofey, but Timofey now has gone on before me with the witch. Shall we be very late, Andrey?'
'They'll only get there an hour at most before us, not even that maybe. I got Timofey ready to start. I know how he'll go. Their pace won't be ours, Dmitri Fyodorovitch. How could it be? They won't get there an hour earlier!' Andrey, a lanky, red-haired, middle-aged driver, wearing a full-skirted coat, and with a kaftan on his arm, replied warmly.
'Fifty roubles for vodka if we're only an hour behind them.'
'I warrant the time, Dmitri Fyodorovitch. Ech, they won't be half an hour before us, let alone an hour.'
Though Mitya bustled about seeing after things, he gave his orders strangely, as it were, disconnectedly, and inconsecutively. He began a sentence and forgot the end of it. Pyotr Ilyitch found himself obliged to come to the rescue.
'Four hundred roubles’ worth, not less than four hundred roubles’ worth, just as it was then,' commanded Mitya. 'Four dozen champagne, not a bottle less.'
'What do you want with so much? What's it for? Stay!' cried Pyotr Ilyitch. 'What's this box? What's in it? Surely there isn't four hundred roubles’ worth here?'
The officious shopmen began explaining with oily politeness that the first box contained only half a dozen bottles of champagne, and only 'the most indispensable articles,' such as savouries, sweets, toffee, etc. But the main part of the goods ordered would be packed and sent off, as on the previous occasion, in a special cart also with three horses travelling at full speed, so that it would arrive not more than an hour later than Dmitri Fyodorovitch himself.
'Not more than an hour! Not more than an hour! And put in more toffee and fondants. The girls there are so fond of it,' Mitya insisted hotly.
'The fondants are all right. But what do you want with four dozen of champagne? One would be enough,' said Pyotr Ilyitch, almost angry. He began bargaining, asking for a bill of the goods, and refused to be satisfied. But he only succeeded in saving a hundred roubles. In the end it was agreed that only three hundred roubles’ worth should be sent.
'Well, you may go to the devil!' cried Pyotr Ilyitch, on second thoughts. 'What's it to do with me? Throw away your money, since it's cost you nothing.'
'This way, my economist, this way, don't be angry.' Mitya drew him into a room at the back of the shop. 'They'll give us a bottle here directly. We'll taste it. Ech, Pyotr Ilyitch, come along with me, for you're a nice fellow, the sort I like.'
Mitya sat down on a wicker chair, before a little table, covered with a dirty dinner-napkin. Pyotr Ilyitch sat down opposite, and the champagne soon appeared, and oysters were suggested to the gentlemen. 'First-class oysters, the last lot in.'
'Hang the oysters. I don't eat them. And we don't need anything,' cried Pyotr Ilyitch, almost angrily.
'There's no time for oysters,' said Mitya. 'And I'm not hungry. Do you know, friend,' he said suddenly, with feeling, 'I never have liked all this disorder.'
'Who does like it? Three dozen of champagne for peasants, upon my word, that's enough to make anyone angry!'
'That's not what I mean. I'm talking of a higher order. There's no order in me, no higher order. But... that's all over. There's no need to grieve about it. It's too late, damn it! My whole life has been disorder, and one must set it in order. Is that a pun, eh?' 'You're raving, not making puns! 'Glory be to God in Heaven,
Glory be to God in me. . .
'That verse came from my heart once, it's not a verse, but a tear.... I made it myself... not while I was pulling the captain's beard, though...'
'Why do you bring him in all of a sudden?'
'Why do I bring him in? Foolery! All things come to an end; all things are made equal. That's the long and short of it.'
'You know, I keep thinking of your pistols.'
'That's all foolery, too! Drink, and don't be fanciful. I love life. I've loved life too much, shamefully much. Enough! Let's drink to life, dear boy, I propose the toast. Why am I pleased with myself? I'm a scoundrel, but I'm satisfied with myself. And yet I'm tortured by the thought that I'm a scoundrel, but satisfied with myself. I bless the creation. I'm ready to bless God and His creation directly, but... I must kill one noxious insect for fear it should crawl and spoil life for others.... Let us drink to life, dear brother. What can be more precious than life? Nothing! To life, and to one queen of queens!'
'Let's drink to life and to your queen, too, if you like.'
They drank a glass each. Although Mitya was excited and expansive, yet he was melancholy, too. It was as though some heavy, overwhelming anxiety were weighing upon him.
'Misha... here's your Misha come! Misha, come here, my boy, drink this glass to Phoebus the golden-haired, of to-morrow morn...'
'What are you giving it him for?' cried Pyotr Ilyitch, irritably.
'Yes, yes, yes, let me! I want to!'
'E--ech!'
Misha emptied the glass, bowed, and ran out.
'He'll remember it afterwards,' Mitya remarked. 'Woman, I love woman! What is woman? The queen of creation! My heart is sad, my heart is sad, Pyotr Ilyitch. Do you remember Hamlet? ‘I am very sorry, good Horatio! Alas, poor Yorick!’ Perhaps that's me, Yorick? Yes, I'm Yorick now, and a skull afterwards.'
Pyotr Ilyitch listened in silence. Mitya, too, was silent for a while.
'What dog's that you've got here?' he asked the shopman, casually, noticing a pretty little lap-dog with dark eyes, sitting in the corner.
'It belongs to Varvara Alexyevna, the mistress,' answered the clerk. 'She brought it and forgot it here. It must be taken back to her.'
'I saw one like it... in the regiment... ' murmured Mitya dreamily, 'only that one had its hind leg broken.... By the way, Pyotr Ilyitch, I wanted to ask you: have you ever stolen anything in your life?'
'What a question!'
'Oh, I didn't mean anything. From somebody's pocket, you know. I don't mean government money, everyone steals that, and no doubt you do, too...'
'You go to the devil.'
'I'm talking of other people's money. Stealing straight out of a pocket? Out of a purse, eh?'
'I stole twenty copecks from my mother when I was nine years old. I took it off the table on the sly, and held it tight in my hand.'
'Well, and what happened?'
'Oh, nothing. I kept it three days, then I felt ashamed, confessed, and gave it back.'
'And what then?'
'Naturally I was whipped. But why do you ask? Have you stolen something?'
'I have,' said Mitya, winking slyly.
'What have you stolen?' inquired Pyotr Ilyitch curiously.
'I stole twenty copecks from my mother when I was nine years old, and gave it back three days after.'
