登陆注册
19593600000264

第264章

"And I don't know myself yet.Perhaps you'll want to trample me under foot after my examination to-morrow.""You will give your evidence honourably," said Alyosha; "that's all that's wanted.""Women are often dishonourable," she snarled."Only an hour ago I was thinking I felt afraid to touch that monster...as though he were a reptile...but no, he is still a human being to me! But did he do it? Is he the murderer?" she cried, all of a sudden, hysterically, turning quickly to Ivan.Alyosha saw at once that she had asked Ivan that question before, perhaps only a moment before he came in, and not for the first time, but for the hundredth, and that they had ended by quarrelling.

"I've been to see Smerdyakov....It was you, you who persuaded me that he murdered his father.It's only you I believed" she continued, still addressing Ivan.He gave her a sort of strained smile.Alyosha started at her tone.He had not suspected such familiar intimacy between them.

"Well, that's enough, anyway," Ivan cut short the conversation."Iam going.I'll come to-morrow." And turning at once, he walked out of the room and went straight downstairs.

With an imperious gesture, Katerina Ivanovna seized Alyosha by both hands.

"Follow him! Overtake him! Don't leave him alone for a minute!"she said, in a hurried whisper."He's mad! Don't you know that he's mad? He is in a fever, nervous fever.The doctor told me so.Go, run after him...."Alyosha jumped up and ran after Ivan, who was not fifty paces ahead of him.

"What do you want?" He turned quickly on Alyosha, seeing that he was running after him."She told you to catch me up, because I'm mad.I know it all by heart," he added irritably.

"She is mistaken, of course; but she is right that you are ill,"said Alyosha."I was looking at your face just now.You look very ill, Ivan."Ivan walked on without stopping.Alyosha followed him.

"And do you know, Alexey Fyodorovitch, how people do go out of their minds?" Ivan asked in a a voice suddenly quiet, without a trace of irritation, with a note of the simplest curiosity.

"No, I don't.I suppose there are all kinds of insanity.""And can one observe that one's going mad oneself?""I imagine one can't see oneself clearly in such circumstances,"Alyosha answered with surprise.

Ivan paused for half a minute.

"If you want to talk to me, please change the subject," he said suddenly.

"Oh, while I think of it, I have a letter for you," said Alyosha timidly, and he took Lise's note from his pocket and held it out to Ivan.They were just under a lamp-post.Ivan recognised the handwriting at once.

"Ah, from that little demon!" he laughed maliciously, and, without opening the envelope, he tore it into bits and threw it in the air.

The bits were scattered by the wind.

"She's not sixteen yet, I believe, and already offering herself," he said contemptuously, striding along the street again.

"How do you mean, offering herself?" exclaimed Alyosha.

"As wanton women offer themselves, to be sure.""How can you, Ivan, how can you?" Alyosha cried warmly, in a grieved voice."She is a child; you are insulting a child! She is ill;she is very ill, too.She is on the verge of insanity, too, perhaps....I had hoped to hear something from you...that would save her.""You'll hear nothing from me.If she is a child, I am not her nurse.Be quiet, Alexey.Don't go on about her.I am not even thinking about it."They were silent again for a moment.

"She will be praying all night now to the Mother of God to show her how to act to-morrow at the trial," he said sharply and angrily again.

"You...you mean Katerina Ivanovna?"

"Yes.Whether she's to save Mitya or ruin him.She'll pray for light from above.She can't make up her mind for herself, you see.She has not had time to decide yet.She takes me for her nurse, too.She wants me to sing lullabies to her.""Katerina Ivanovna loves you, brother," said Alyosha sadly.

"Perhaps; but I am not very keen on her.""She is suffering.Why do you...sometimes say things to her that give her hope?" Alyosha went on, with timid reproach."I know that you've given her hope.Forgive me for speaking to you like this,"he added.

"I can't behave to her as I ought- break off altogether and tell her so straight out," said Ivan, irritably."I must wait till sentence is passed on the murderer.If I break off with her now, she will avenge herself on me by ruining that scoundrel to-morrow at the trial, for she hates him and knows she hates him.It's all a lie- lie upon lie! As long as I don't break off with her, she goes on hoping, and she won't ruin that monster, knowing how I want to get him out of trouble.If only that damned verdict would come!"The words "murderer" and "monster" echoed painfully in Alyosha's heart.

"But how can she ruin Mitya?" he asked, pondering on Ivan's words.

"What evidence can she give that would ruin Mitya?""You don't know that yet.She's got a document in her hands, in Mitya's own writing, that proves conclusively that he did murder Fyodor Pavlovitch.""That's impossible!" cried Alyosha.

"Why is it impossible? I've read it myself.""There can't be such a document!" Alyosha repeated warmly.

"There can't be, because he's not the murderer.It's not he murdered father, not he!"Ivan suddenly stopped.

"Who is the murderer then, according to you?" he asked, with apparent coldness.There was even a supercilious note in his voice.

"You know who," Alyosha pronounced in a low, penetrating voice.

"Who? You mean the myth about that crazy idiot, the epileptic, Smerdyakov?"Alyosha suddenly felt himself trembling all over.

"You know who," broke helplessly from him.He could scarcely breathe.

"Who? Who?" Ivan cried almost fiercely.All his restraint suddenly vanished.

"I only know one thing," Alyosha went on, still almost in a whisper, "it wasn't you killed father.""'Not you'! What do you mean by 'not you'?" Ivan was thunderstruck.

"It was not you killed father, not you! Alyosha repeated firmly.

The silence lasted for half a minute.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 三国黑帝x

    三国黑帝x

    赤帝灭,黑帝兴,风水轮流转,终于转到了我的头上。我是谁?我是胡辅,也是黑帝。那个什么月英、貂蝉一个别跑。吕布马超别想偷袭,有本事咱光明正大地打一架。
  • 瑜伽师地论

    瑜伽师地论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 至强尊者

    至强尊者

    纵横炎嶙大陆百年的强者重生成为苍云大陆一个宗门的仆役本是危如累卵的小仆役从此一步步成为主宰大陆的盖世豪强看风云,我来主宰笑天下,你且旁观
  • 遇见了就下定决心

    遇见了就下定决心

    因为一场饭局而展开了爱情友情亲情得故事,如何相遇就要下定决心爱上你。不管会遇到什么,未来会发生什么。我们都不知道。看六位主人公的故事。
  • 九界至尊小子

    九界至尊小子

    何谓九界?神界,仙界,天界,魔界,鬼界,佛界,冥界,异次界,人界。他是一个孤儿,从小就被人欺负,他在被欺负中成长,一个普通凡人却偏偏受大任让他不再平凡。本书看是仙侠,看一平凡人,在九界当中如何收小弟,靠着自己的小弟打天下的,最后又怎么报美而归。
  • 魔降末世

    魔降末世

    之所以会被欺负是因为你站在和别人同样的位置上,想要不再被欺负唯一的办法就是把所有和你站在一个位置上的人都踩到脚下每个人的灵魂中都关着一个神和一个魔,每一个能全然释放其中之一的人都将踏上巅峰软弱的少年在绝望中毅然打开道术终极圣术将自己化身为魔这一刻------魔降末世
  • 人间有情是温暖

    人间有情是温暖

    不管四季如何轮回,时光怎样荏苒,青春都是最美好的片断。人活一辈子,最苦闷的不是事业而是情感,特别是对女人来说,感情才是生命主导。女人为爱而生,为爱而狂,让人疼惜,让人敬佩,但往往得不到应有的回报。故事描写了黄永健、姜敏、乔筱楠等年轻人的生死相恋,温暖人生,尽显女性"魅力"。女性为爱而生,男人应当永远珍惜!
  • 鬼影倾城青春永寂

    鬼影倾城青春永寂

    等不到蝴蝶蹁跹,满地残花无人葬殓;来不及许下诺言,时光变迁谁在流连;看不尽满地枫签,伴着眷恋洒满秋天;泪水却晕开画面,时间敷衍湿了笑脸。你说相聚是缘,离别并非缘浅,闭上眼往事如烟,而我讲不出再见。我说泪水微咸,牵挂反而微甜,怕将来梦萦魂牵,而你已换了容颜。等不到湖光潋滟,天边阴霾遮蔽晴天;来不及谱写诗篇,失宠纸鸢尘封搁浅;看不尽哀艳水仙,伴着桀骜怒放冬天;爱情却说了抱歉,往事摇曳断了琴弦。你说爱我不变,分开还会想念,拥抱后甜蜜断线,而我铭记你的脸。我说记忆缠绵,分手无法入眠,怕醒来泪湿枕沿,而你已不在身边。
  • 逆凡道

    逆凡道

    世界并不是唯一的世界,因为有平行空间;宇宙也有生灭,人亦如此。但死亡真的是结束么?未必!有人说成功是逼出来的,不是被人逼,就是自己逼自己。而主角的人生如果不遇奇遇,也许永远不会脱颖而出,异于凡人!只会是一个淹没在时光隧道里的凡人!
  • 灵师无双

    灵师无双

    武者炼体,以觉醒天赋灵纹为起点,获得灵师之力。凝灵璇,聚魂璇,铸命格。灵师以能够无限进化的灵技、魂技、天罚,上至苍穹,下至九幽,掌控无上之力。秦佑在觉醒天赋灵纹的那一刻,却遭到挚友背叛,遭到对手诬陷。灵纹消散,冤屈在身,父亲失踪,秦佑在最艰难的处境中,触动了从小戴在身上的墨珠力量。墨珠的作用只有一个,强化,以一切方法,强化秦佑的一切。肉体强化,灵纹强化,灵技强化,魂技强化,还有那恐怖的二次灵变强化,当简单的强化衍变成一项项神秘的力量之后,秦佑知道,自己已经踏上了一条前无古人的灵师修行之路。