orgave her," broke impatiently from the
gentle Father Iosif.

"Yes, it was for such, monks, it was! You save your souls here, eating
cabbage, and think you are the righteous. You eat a gudgeon a day, and you
think you bribe God with gudgeon."

"This is unendurable!" was heard on all sides in the cell.

But this unseemly scene was cut short in a most unexpected way. Father
Zossima rose suddenly from his seat. Almost distracted with anxiety for
the elder and every one else, Alyosha succeeded, however, in supporting
him by the arm. Father Zossima moved towards Dmitri and reaching him sank
on his knees before him. Alyosha thought that he had fallen from weakness,
but this was not so. The elder distinctly and deliberately bowed down at
Dmitri's feet till his forehead touched the floor. Alyosha was so
astounded that he failed to assist him when he got up again. There was a
faint smile on his lips.

"Good-by! Forgive me, all of you!" he said, bowing on all sides to his
guests.

Dmitri stood for a few moments in amazement. Bowing down to him--what did
it mean? Suddenly he cried aloud, "Oh, God!" hid his face in his hands,
and rushed out of the room. All the guests flocked out after him, in their
confusion not saying good-by, or bowing to their host. Only the monks went
up to him again for a blessing.

"What did it mean, falling at his feet like that? Was it symbolic or
what?" said Fyodor Pavlovitch, suddenly quieted and trying to reopen
conversation without venturing to address anybody in particular. They were
all passing out of the precincts of the hermitage at the moment.

"I can't answer for a madhouse and for madmen," Miuesov answered at once
ill-humoredly, "but I will spare myself your company, Fyodor Pavlovitch,
and, trust me, for ever. Where's that monk?"

"That monk," that is, the monk who had invited them to dine with the
Superior, did not keep them waiting. He met them as soon as they came down
the steps from the elder's cell, as though he had been waiting for them
all the time.

"Reverend Father, kindly do me a favor. Convey my deepest respect to the
Father Superior, apologize for me, personally, Miuesov, to his reverence,
telling him that I deeply regret that owing to unforeseen circumstances I
am unable to have the honor of being present at his table, greatly as I
should desire to do so," Miuesov said irritably to the monk.

"And that unforeseen circumstance, of course, is myself," Fyodor
Pavlovitch cut