been jeering at him at
school. 'Wisp of tow,' they shouted, 'your father was pulled out of the
tavern by his wisp of tow, you ran by and begged forgiveness.' "

"On the third day when he came back from school, I saw he looked pale and
wretched. 'What is it?' I asked. He wouldn't answer. Well, there's no
talking in our mansion without mamma and the girls taking part in it.
What's more, the girls had heard about it the very first day. Varvara had
begun snarling. 'You fools and buffoons, can you ever do anything
rational?' 'Quite so,' I said, 'can we ever do anything rational?' For the
time I turned it off like that. So in the evening I took the boy out for a
walk, for you must know we go for a walk every evening, always the same
way, along which we are going now--from our gate to that great stone which
lies alone in the road under the hurdle, which marks the beginning of the
town pasture. A beautiful and lonely spot, sir. Ilusha and I walked along
hand in hand as usual. He has a little hand, his fingers are thin and
cold--he suffers with his chest, you know. 'Father,' said he, 'father!'
'Well?' said I. I saw his eyes flashing. 'Father, how he treated you
then!' 'It can't be helped, Ilusha,' I said. 'Don't forgive him, father,
don't forgive him! At school they say that he has paid you ten roubles for
it.' 'No, Ilusha,' said I, 'I would not take money from him for anything.'
Then he began trembling all over, took my hand in both his and kissed it
again. 'Father,' he said, 'father, challenge him to a duel, at school they
say you are a coward and won't challenge him, and that you'll accept ten
roubles from him.' 'I can't challenge him to a duel, Ilusha,' I answered.
And I told briefly what I've just told you. He listened. 'Father,' he
said, 'anyway don't forgive it. When I grow up I'll call him out myself
and kill him.' His eyes shone and glowed. And of course I am his father,
and I had to put in a word: 'It's a sin to kill,' I said, 'even in a
duel.' 'Father,' he said, 'when I grow up, I'll knock him down, knock the
sword out of his hand, I'll fall on him, wave my sword over him and say:
"I could kill you, but I forgive you, so there!" ' You see what the
workings of his little mind have been during these two days; he must have
been planning that vengeance all day, and raving about it at night.

"But he began to come home from school badly beaten, I found out about it
the day before yesterday, and you are right, I won't send h