The Brothers Karamazov‘Mamma, I shall be having hysterics, and not she!’
‘Lise, for mercy’s sake, don’t scream, don’t persecute me.
At your age one can’t know everything that grown-up peo-
ple know. I’ll come and tell you everything you ought to
know. Oh, mercy on us! I am coming, I am coming.... Hys-
terics is a good sign, Alexey Fyodorovitch; it’s an excellent
thing that she is hysterical. That’s just as it ought to be. In
such cases I am always against the woman, against all these
feminine tears and hysterics. Run and say, Yulia, that I’ll
fly to her. As for Ivan Fyodorovitch’s going away like that,
it’s her own fault. But he won’t go away. Lise, for mercy’s
sake, don’t scream! Oh, yes; you are not screaming. It’s I
am screaming. Forgive your mamma; but I am delighted,
delighted, delighted! Did you notice, Alexey Fyodorovitch,
how young, how young Ivan Fyodorovitch was just now
when he went out, when he said all that and went out? I
thought he was so learned, such a savant, and all of a sud-
den he behaved so warmly, openly, and youthfully, with
such youthful inexperience, and it was all so fine, like you....
And the way he repeated that German verse, it was just like
you! But I must fly, I must fly! Alexey Fyodorovitch, make
haste to carry out her commission, and then make haste
back. Lise, do you want anything now? For mercy’s sake,
don’t keep Alexey Fyodorovitch a minute. He will come
back to you at once.’
Madame Hohlakov at last ran off. Before leaving, Alyo-
sha would have opened the door to see Lise.
‘On no account,’ cried Lise. ‘On no account now. Speak
through the door. How have you come to be an angel? That’s