Chapter 8 Delirium

The feast at Mokroe swells as Mitya lavishes drink on peasants and friends. Grushenka urges merriment yet keeps sending Mitya away, watching him with growing tenderness. Kalganov grows bored and drunk; Maximov capers and flatters. Amid coarse songs and dances, the landlord Trifon Borissovitch hovers to keep Mitya from reckless giveaways.

Mitya, overwhelmed, steps to the balcony and nearly decides on suicide, then races back to Grushenka, clinging to the hope of her love. He finds her privately weeping over the disillusioning return of her former lover and, through tears, asks who she truly loves. Realizing it is Mitya, she passionately declares herself his.

They embrace and vow a different life: to be honest, seek forgiveness from Katerina, work, even flee far away if needed. Mitya confesses the stolen money; Grushenka dismisses money as nothing between them. She speaks of nuns and forgiveness, then grows tipsy, tries to dance, and collapses from weakness. Mitya carries her to the bed; she begs him to wait until they are truly and honorably together.

As the noise outside strangely fades, Grushenka dozes and wakes from a snowy-bell dream. She suddenly senses watchers beyond the curtain. Mitya parts it and confronts a room of officials: the police captain Mihail Makarovitch, the deputy prosecutor, the investigating lawyer, the inspector Mavriky, and witnesses.

Reeling, Mitya blurts that he “understands,” thinking of “the old man and his blood.” The captain rages; the young investigator formally charges Mitya with the murder of his father, Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov. Stunned, Mitya collapses into a chair as the revel ends in silence and accusation.