10 0 The Brothers Karamazovthat I desired father’s death or not?’
‘I did think so,’ answered Alyosha, softly.
‘It was so, too; it was not a matter of guessing. But didn’t
you fancy then that what I wished was just that one reptile
should devour another’; that is, just that Dmitri should kill
father, and as soon as possible... and that I myself was even
prepared to help to bring that about?’
Alyosha turned rather pale, and looked silently into his
brother’s face.
‘Speak!’ cried Ivan, ‘I want above everything to know
what you thought then. I want the truth, the truth!’
He drew a deep breath, looking angrily at Alyosha before
his answer came.
‘Forgive me, I did think that, too, at the time,’ whispered
Alyosha, and he did not add one softening phrase.
‘Thanks,’ snapped Ivan, and, leaving Alyosha, he went
quickly on his way. From that time Alyosha noticed that
Ivan began obviously to avoid him and seemed even to have
taken a dislike to him, so much so that Alyosha gave up go-
ing to see him. Immediately after that meeting with him,
Ivan had not gone home, but went straight to Smerdyakov
again.