What crime? What murderer? What do you mean?
Alyosha stopped dead. Rakitin stopped, too.
What murderer? As though you didnt know! Ill bet youve thought of it before. Thats interesting, too, by the way. Listen, Alyosha, you always speak the truth, though youre always between two stools. Have you thought of it or not? Answer.
I have, answered Alyosha in a low voice. Even Rakitin was taken aback.
What? Have you really? he cried.
I Ive not exactly thought it, muttered Alyosha, but directly you began speaking so strangely, I fancied I had thought of it myself.
You see? (And how well you expressed it!) Looking at your father and your brother Mitya today you thought of a crime. Then Im not mistaken?
But wait, wait a minute, Alyosha broke in uneasily. What has led you to see all this? Why does it interest you? Thats the first question.
Two questions, disconnected, but natural. Ill deal with them separately. What led me to see it? I shouldnt have seen it, if I hadnt suddenly understood your brother Dmitri, seen right into the very heart of him all at once. I caught the whole man from one trait. These very honest but passionate people have a line which mustnt be crossed. If it were, hed run at your father with a knife. But your fathers a drunken and abandoned old sinner, who can never draw the lineif they both let themselves go, theyll both come to grief.
No, Misha, no. If thats all, youve reassured me. It wont come to that.
But why are you trembling? Let me tell you; he may be honest, our Mitya (he is stupid, but honest), but hesa sensualist. Thats the very definition and inner essence of him. Its your father has handed him on his low sensuality. Do you know, I simply wonder at you, Alyosha, how you can have kept your purity. Youre a Karamazov too, you know! In your family sensuality is carried to a disease. But now, these three sensualists are watching one another, with their knives in their belts. The three of them are knocking their heads together, and you may be the fourth.
You are mistaken about that woman. Dmitridespises her, said Alyosha, with a sort of shudder.
Grushenka? No, brother, he doesnt despise her. Since he has openly abandoned his betrothed for her, he doesnt despise her. Theres something here, my dear boy, that you dont understand yet. A man will fall in love with some beauty, with a womans body, or even with a part of a womans body (a sensualist can understand that), and hell abandon his own children for her, sell his father and mother, and his country, Russia, too. If hes honest, hell steal; if hes humane, hell murder; if hes faithful, hell deceive. Pushkin, the poet of womens feet, sung of their feet in his verse. Others dont sing their praises, but they cant look at their feet without a thrilland its not only their feet. Contempts no help here, brother, even if he did despise Grushenka. He does, but he cant tear himself away.
I understand that, Alyosha jerked out suddenly.
Really? Well, I dare say you do understand, since you blurt it out at the first word, said Rakitin, malignantly. That escaped you unawares, and the confessions the more precious. So its a familiar subject; youve thought about it already, about sensuality, I mean! Oh, you virgin soul! Youre a quiet one, Alyosha, youre a saint, I know, but the devil only knows what youve thought about, and what you know already! You are pure, but youve been down into the depths. Ive been watching you a long time. Youre a Karamazov yourself; youre a thorough Karamazovno doubt birth and selection have something to answer for. Youre a sensualist from your father, a crazy saint from your mother. Why do you tremble? Is it true, then? Do you know, Grushenka has been begging me to bring you along. Ill pull off his cassock, she says. You cant think how she keeps begging me to bring you. I wondered why she took such an interest in you. Do you know, shes an extraordinary woman, too!
Thank her and say Im not coming, said Alyosha, with a strained smile. Finish what you were saying, Misha. Ill tell you my idea after.
Theres nothing to finish. Its all clear. Its the same old tune, brother. If even you are a sensualist at heart, what of your brother, Ivan? Hes a Karamazov, too. What is at the root of all you Karamazovs is that youre all sensual, grasping and crazy! Your brother Ivan writes theological articles in joke, for some idiotic, unknown motive of his own, though hes an atheist, and he admits its a fraud himselfthats your brother Ivan. Hes trying to get Mityas betrothed for himself, and I fancy hell succeed, too. And whats more, its with Mityas consent. For Mitya will surrender his betrothed to him to be rid of her, and escape to Grushenka. And hes ready to do that in spite of all his nobility and disinterestedness. Observe that. Those are the most fatal people! Who the devil can make you out? He recognizes his vileness and goes on with it! Let me tell you, too, the old man, your father, is standing in Mityas way now. He has suddenly gone crazy over Grushenka. His mouth waters at the sight of her. Its simply on her account he made that scene in the cell just now, simply because Miüsov called her an abandoned creature. Hes worse than a tomcat in love. At first she was only employed by him in connection with his taverns and in some other shady business, but now he has suddenly realized all she is and has gone wild about her. He keeps pestering her with his offers, not honorable ones, of course. And theyll come into collision, the precious father and son, on that path! But Grushenka favors neither of them, shes still playing with them, and teasing them both, considering which she can get most out of. For though she could filch a lot of money from the papa he wouldnt marry her, and maybe hell turn stingy in the end, and keep his purse shut. Thats where Mityas value comes in; he has no money, but hes ready to marry her. Yes, ready to marry her! to abandon his betrothed, a rare beauty, Katerina Ivanovna, whos rich, and the daughter of a colonel, and to marry Grushenka, who has been the mistress of a dissolute old merchant, Samsonov, a coarse, uneducated, provincial mayor. Some murderous conflict may well come to pass from all this, and thats what your brother Ivan is waiting for. It would suit him down to the ground. Hell carry off Katerina Ivanovna, for whom he is languishing, and pocket her dowry of sixty thousand. Thats very alluring to start with, for a man of no consequence and a beggar. And, take note, he wont be wronging Mitya, but doing him the greatest service. For I know as a fact that Mitya only last week, when he was with some gypsy girls drunk in a tavern, cried out aloud that he was unworthy of his betrothed, Katya, but that his brother Ivan, he was the man who deserved her. And Katerina Ivanovna will not in the end refuse such a fascinating man as Ivan. Shes hesitating between the two of them already. And how has that Ivan won you all, so that you all worship him? He is laughing at you, and enjoying himself at your expense.
How do you know? How can you speak so confidently? Alyosha asked sharply, frowning.
Why do you ask, and are frightened at my answer? It shows that you know Im speaking the truth.
You dont like Ivan. Ivan wouldnt be tempted by money.
Really? And the beauty of Katerina Ivanovna? Its not only the money, though a fortune of sixty thousand is an attraction.
Ivan is above that. He wouldnt make up to any one for thousands. It is not money, its not comfort Ivan is seeking. Perhaps its suffering he is seeking.
What wild dream now? Oh, youaristocrats!
Ah, Misha, he has a stormy spirit. His mind is in bondage. He is haunted by a great, unsolved doubt. He is one of those who dont want millions, but an answer to their questions.
Thats plagiarism, Alyosha. Youre quoting your elders phrases. Ah, Ivan has set you a problem! cried Rakitin, with undisguised malice. His face changed, and his lips twitched. And the problems a stupid one. It is no good guessing it. Rack your brainsyoull understand it. His article is absurd and ridiculous. And did you hear his stupid theory just now: if theres no immortality of the soul, then theres no virtue, and everything is lawful. (And by the way, do you remember how your brother Mitya cried out: I will remember!) An attractive theory for scoundrels!(Im being abusive, thats stupid.) Not for scoundrels, but for pedantic poseurs, haunted by profound, unsolved doubts. Hes showing off, and what it all comes to is, on the one hand we cannot but admit and on the other it must be confessed! His whole theory is a fraud! Humanity will find in itself the power to live for virtue even without believing in immortality. It will find it in love for freedom, for equality, for fraternity.
Rakitin could hardly restrain himself in his heat, but, suddenly, as though remembering something, he stopped short.
Well, thats enough, he said, with a still more crooked smile. Why are you laughing? Do you think Im a vulgar fool?
No, I never dreamed of thinking you a vulgar fool. You are clever but never mind, I was silly to smile. I understand your getting hot about it, Misha. I guess from your warmth that you are not indifferent to Katerina Ivanovna yourself; Ive suspected that for a long time, brother, thats why you dont like my brother Ivan. Are you jealous of him?
And jealous of her money, too? Wont you add that?
Ill say nothing about money. I am not going to insult you.
I believe it, since you say so, but confound you, and your brother Ivan with you. Dont you understand that one might very well dislike him, apart from Katerina Ivanovna. And why the devil should I like him? He condescends to abuse me, you know. Why havent I a right to abuse him?
I never heard of his saying anything about you, good or bad. He doesnt speak of you at all.
But I heard that the day before yesterday at Katerina Ivanovnas he was abusing me for all he was worthyou see what an interest he takes in your humble servant. And which is the jealous one after that, brother, I cant say. He was so good as to express the opinion that, if I dont go in for the career of an archimandrite in the immediate future and dont become a monk, I shall be sure to go to Petersburg and get on to some solid magazine as a reviewer, that I shall write for the next ten years, and in the end become the owner of the magazine, and bring it out on the liberal and atheistic side, with a socialistic tinge, with a tiny gloss of socialism, but keeping a sharp look out all the time, that is, keeping in with both sides and hoodwinking the fools. According to your brothers account, the tinge of socialism wont hinder me from laying by the proceeds and investing them under the guidance of some Jew, till at the end of my career I build a great house in Petersburg and move my publishing offices to it, and let out the upper stories to lodgers. He has even chosen the place for it, near the new stone bridge across the Neva, which they say is to be built in Petersburg.
Ah, Misha, thats just what will really happen, every word of it, cried Alyosha, unable to restrain a goodhumored smile.
You are pleased to be sarcastic, too, Alexey Fyodorovitch.
No, no, Im joking, forgive me. Ive something quite different in my mind. But, excuse me, who can have told you all this? You cant have been at Katerina Ivanovnas yourself when he was talking about you?
I wasnt there, but Dmitri Fyodorovitch was; and I heard him tell it with my own ears; if you want to know, he didnt tell me, but I overheard him, unintentionally, of course, for I was sitting in Grushenkas bedroom and I couldnt go away because Dmitri Fyodorovitch was in the next room.
Oh, yes, Id forgotten she was a relation of yours.
A relation! That Grushenka a relation of mine! cried Rakitin, turning crimson. Are you mad? Youre out of your mind!
Why, isnt she a relation of yours? I heard so.
Where can you have heard it? You Karamazovs brag of being an ancient, noble family, though your father used to run about playing the buffoon at other mens tables, and was only admitted to the kitchen as a favor. I may be only a priests son, and dirt in the eyes of noblemen like you, but dont insult me so lightly and wantonly. I have a sense of honor, too, Alexey Fyodorovitch, I couldnt be a relation of Grushenka, a common harlot. I beg you to understand that!