Chapter Nineteen Summary

The next morning, Cincinnatus gets the newspaper. Most of the article about the postponed execution is blacked out, but Cincinnatus gathers that Pierre is ill and the execution is delayed until further notice. Rodion comes in, saying that he has a treat for the spider. He has it wrapped in a towel, but Rodion accidentally lets it go. It is a large, beautiful moth. For a moment, it mounts on the table, and then it disappears from view. Cincinnatus has seen it land, but Rodion cannot find it. Rodion contents the spider with a fly and leaves.

Cincinnatus writes about how life has tricked him. Everything is false, so how could he have looked for redemption in this life? He laments his inability to express himself well. He runs out of paper, and then he finds another sheet to finish his...