[The Possessed by Fyodor Dostoevsky]@TWC D-Link book
The Possessed

CHAPTER VII
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Even if I don't believe altogether, still I don't say God ought to be shot.

I used to think about God before I left the hussars.

From all the poems you would think that hussars do nothing but carouse and drink.

Yes, I did drink, maybe, but would you believe it, I used to jump out of bed at night and stood crossing myself before the images with nothing but my socks on, praying to God to give me faith; for even then I couldn't be at peace as to whether there was a God or not.

It used to fret me so! In the morning, of course, one would amuse oneself and one's faith would seem to be lost again; and in fact I've noticed that faith always seems to be less in the daytime." "Haven't you any cards ?" asked Verhovensky, with a mighty yawn, addressing Madame Virginsky.
"I sympathise with your question, I sympathise entirely," the girl-student broke in hotly, flushed with indignation at the major's words.
"We are wasting precious time listening to silly talk," snapped out the lady of the house, and she looked reprovingly at her husband.
The girl pulled herself together.
"I wanted to make a statement to the meeting concerning the sufferings of the students and their protest, but as time is being wasted in immoral conversation..." "There's no such thing as moral or immoral," the schoolboy brought out, unable to restrain himself as soon as the girl began.
"I knew that, Mr.Schoolboy, long before you were taught it." "And I maintain," he answered savagely, "that you are a child come from Petersburg to enlighten us all, though we know for ourselves the commandment 'honour thy father and thy mother,' which you could not repeat correctly; and the fact that it's immoral every one in Russia knows from Byelinsky." "Are we ever to have an end of this ?" Madame Virginsky said resolutely to her husband.


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