en efecto, no era por complacer a Grúshenka por lo que llevaba a Aliosha con ella. Era un hombre práctico y nunca emprendía nada sin la perspectiva de obtener algún provecho para sí mismo. Su objetivo en este caso era doble: en primer lugar, el deseo vengativo de presenciar «la caída del justo» y la caída de Aliosha «de los santos a los pecadores», con la cual ya se regocijaba en su imaginación; y, en segundo lugar, tenía en vista un cierto beneficio material para sí mismo, del cual se hablará más adelante.

«Así que ha llegado el momento crítico —pensó para sus adentros con malicioso júbilo—, y lo pillaremos al vuelo, porque es justo lo que queremos».

III

Una Cebolla

Grushenka lived in the busiest part of the town, near the cathedral square, in a small wooden lodge in the courtyard belonging to the house of the widow Morozov. The house was a large stone building of two stories, old and very ugly. The widow led a secluded life with her two unmarried nieces, who were also elderly women. She had no need to let her lodge, but everyone knew that she had taken in Grushenka as a lodger, four years before, solely to please her kinsman, the merchant Samsonov, who was known to be the girl’s protector. It was said that the jealous old man’s object in placing his “favorite” with the widow Morozov was that the old woman should keep a sharp eye on her new lodger’s conduct. But this sharp eye soon proved to be unnecessary, and in the end the widow Morozov seldom met Grushenka and did not worry her by looking after her in any way. It is true that four years had passed since