Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 101 to tell you so.’
They were both silent. The silence lasted a whole long
minute. They were both standing still, gazing into each
other’s eyes. They were both pale. Suddenly Ivan began
trembling all over, and clutched Alyosha’s shoulder.
‘You’ve been in my room!’ he whispered hoarsely. ‘You’ve
been there at night, when he came.... Confess... have you
seen him, have you seen him?’
‘Whom do you mean — Mitya?’ Alyosha asked, bewil-
dered.
‘Not him, damn the monster!’ Ivan shouted, in a fren-
zy, ‘Do you know that he visits me? How did you find out?
Speak!’
‘Who is he? I don’t know whom you are talking about,’
Alyosha faltered, beginning to be alarmed.
‘Yes, you do know. or how could you —? It’s impossible
that you don’t know.’
Suddenly he seemed to check himself. He stood still and
seemed to reflect. A strange grin contorted his lips.
‘Brother,’ Alyosha began again, in a shaking voice, ‘I have
said this to you, because you’ll believe my word, I know that.
I tell you once and for all, it’s not you. You hear, once for all!
God has put it into my heart to say this to you, even though
it may make you hate me from this hour.’
But by now Ivan had apparently regained his self-con-
trol.
‘Alexey Fyodorovitch,’ he said, with a cold smile, ‘I can’t
endure prophets and epileptics — messengers from God
especially — and you know that only too well. I break off