Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Sidor ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
RECOLLECTIONS OF CHILDHOOD 113
and commented on it to Dostoévsky, whom I then
saw very often.
" Why, that is certainly true!" said Feödor
Mik-håilovitch, striking his brow; "but you must take
my word for it, I had quite forgotten about Mikhåil
when I invented my Alyösha. However, perhaps
he unconsciously recurred to my mind," he added,
thoughtfully.
But matters did not proceed so smoothly when this
second romance was printed, as they had in the case
of the first. A sad catastrophe occurred —
Dostoévsky^ letter fell into our father’s hands and a dreadful
row ensued.
This took place on the fifth of September, a
memorable day in the annals of our family. A multitude
of guests had assembled at our house as usual. That
day we expected the post, which came to our estate
only once a week. Generally the housekeeper, under
cover of whose name Aniuta corresponded with
Fe6-dor Mikkåilovitch, went out to meet the postman, and
took from him her letters before she carried the mail
to her master. But on this occasion she was busy
with the guests. Unfortunately, the postboy who
usu-ually brought the mail had been taking a little too
much liquor in honor of the mistress’s name-day—that
is to say, he was dead drunk, and in his place they
sent a boy who knew nothing of the arrangements
which they had made. Thus the post-bag arrived in
papa’s study without having been subjected to
preliminary examination and weeding.
The registered letter addressed to our housekeeper,
with the stamp of " The Epoch" magazine,
immediately caught father’s eye. What was the meaning of
this ? He ordered the housekeeper to be sent to him,
and made her open the letter in his presence. It is
8
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
