10 The Brothers Karamazov
that conclude any evil about your feelings and perhaps of
something else, too — that’s what I promised not to tell the
authorities.’
Though Smerdyakov spoke without haste and obviously
controlling himself, yet there was something in his voice,
determined and emphatic, resentful and insolently defiant.
He stared impudently at Ivan. A mist passed before Ivan’s
eyes for the first moment.
‘How? What? Are you out of your mind?’
‘I’m perfectly in possession of all my faculties.’
‘Do you suppose I knew of the murder?’ Ivan cried at last,
and he brought his fist violently on the table. ‘What do you
mean by ‘something else, too’? Speak, scoundrel!’
Smerdyakov was silent and still scanned Ivan with the
same insolent stare.
‘Speak, you stinking rogue, what is that ‘something else,
too’?’
‘The ‘something else’ I meant was that you probably, too,
were very desirous of your parent’s death.’
Ivan jumped up and struck him with all his might on
the shoulder, so that he fell back against the wall. In an in-
stant his face was bathed in tears. Saying, ‘It’s a shame, sir,
to strike a sick man,’ he dried his eyes with a very dirty blue
check handkerchief and sank into quiet weeping. A minute
passed.
‘That’s enough! Leave off,’ Ivan said peremptorily, sitting
down again. ‘Don’t put me out of all patience.’
Smerdyakov took the rag from his eyes. Every line of his
puckered face reflected the insult he had just received.